The Guardian
by Angry Warrior
Summary: The Guardian of Forever is playing this time with Janeway. This leads to a J/C story line. Please review and respond. It tells me someone is reading and wants me to continue.
1. Chapter 1

The Guardian, Part 1  
by: AW

Date: September 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 5,165 words

Kathryn wanted to cry. She had gotten her crew stuck on this god forsaken planet.

She stared around at the men and women who had once filled her ship and now filled her planet-bound life. This was the second time in as many months that she had been stuck supposedly for the rest of her life on an isolated planet in the Delta Quadrant.

She walked to the back of the cave where they had decided to break camp. It was secluded and quiet.

It was dark and she felt alone; if only Chakotay would come and at least visit her; follow her; love her.

She felt a silent tear roll down her face. It was only in the privacy of loneliness she would allow herself to let her emotions go.

She took in a deep breath and continued to explore the cavern.

She soon came across a quiet area where there was a door that looked like nothing she had seen before. The 'doorway' was covered by cobwebs and dirt.

The scientist in her was unable to ignore and the curiosity in her forced her to sweep the debris aside until she and saw an opening.

She stared at it; unable to place where she knew this construct from. It looked so familiar yet so strange.

Kathryn wracked her brain trying to come up with what she knew was important and familiar.

She heard a booming voice breaking the silence. "You search for answers; this doorway is your answer."

Kathryn searched her brain. "You're the guardian of forever, and this is a time portal."

The being nodded his head and pointed towards the portal. "Your answers will be there."

Kathryn stared at the being, "What about my crew?"

The being stared at her. "You'll be back before they know that you were gone."

Kathryn walked up to the portal and placed her hand through, pulling it out when she felt the heat. She stared at her hand and then back at the Guardian. "You're positive I'll be back before they realize?"

The guardian nodded and Kathryn looked once more at the cave and jumped through the time portal.

She opened her eyes and looked around. She knew this place. It was Venice.

She saw Chakotay sitting at a table in the restaurant apparently in wait for someone. They had spoken if they ever got home that they would meet in Venice and Kathryn felt a smile grace her features.

She saw the box he was holding and knew it looked familiar it was like the box that she was making based on his culture for him at home.

She watched the scene play out before her as Mark approached Chakotay and said something to him. She heard I'm sorry and watched as the box fell out of Chakotay's hands and hit the ground shattering.

Mark walked away and Kathryn watched the broken man. She wanted to run to him to tell him she was okay, but she wasn't his Kathryn.

She sighed and calmly walked up to him putting her small hand on his shoulder.

He stared up into her face as if he had seen a ghost. "Kathryn?" He shook his head. "It can't be: you're dead."

She let her hand run down his face and touch his lips. "Your Kathryn may be gone but I'm here."

He stared at the hair that she had flowing down to her waist. "What year is it for you?"

She stared at him, "Stardate 50032.7: We're on Hanon."

He stared at her, "So we just left New Earth not a month ago."

She nodded and stared at him, "What date is it for you?"

"2409 this is the year that you die."

Kathryn bowed her head. "Was Seska's child yours?"

Chakotay shook his head. _Of all the things for her to ask him._ "No Kathryn I have to children."

Kathryn felt herself letting out a deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "We were supposed to meet in Venice today and instead I got a visit from your ex-fiancé telling me that you had died." She stared at him blue eyes shining with tears.

"Oh Chakotay, I am so sorry."

He shook his head, "Why did you say no on New Earth Kathryn?"

Kathryn stared at him. "I was afraid and now I've gotten the crew stuck on a planet." She looked at him, "I waited for you and you never came after we were on Hanon except for cutting my hair." She stared at him, "I was ready now to say yes." She stared at him, "I'm ready to say yes now Chakotay."

"You're not my Kathryn."

She laughed, "I will be in five years."

He stared at her. "True enough but you're not my Kathryn."

Kathryn approached him and let her lips meet his.

He appeared surprised; he had dreamt of this for years

He had always dreamed of her coming to him on her own accord.

But this was not his Kathryn; but if she had come to him willingly all those years ago would he have accepted? Was he going to accept now? Would this change everything and rewrite a new story for them?

He finally let himself go with it. He let himself enjoy it.

He let himself take her.

The kiss became more heated and Kathryn realized they were still in public and his hand had drifted down to her breast.

Their breathing became more ragged and finally the need for oxygen forced them apart.

She stared into his trusting and open eyes. "Shall we take this elsewhere?"

He closed his eyes and nodded.

They made their way to his quarters and she let her Starfleet uniform – out of date at this point – fall to the ground; and Chakotay stared amazed at the woman before him.

He looked at her face and noticed the lines of age that had adorned her perfect complexion were not there yet, but the fair Irish skin and the bright blue eyes – so expressive to those she allowed in – were still there allowing him the hopes and the opportunities that he had always dreamed of.

They slowly fell into the bed that he had not shared with anyone since he and Seven had parted ways: Hoping that one day it would be shared with his former Captain and love of his life.

"This can only be one night Chakotay then I have to go back and take care of my crew."

Chakotay laughed, "Tom came through for us with the Talaxians: He turned out okay."

She smiled, "Do Tom and B'Elanna ever stop dancing around each other and make a real go at a relationship?"

Chakotay grinned, "They have a six month old baby girl."

Kathryn nodded and once again let herself sink into this being. "I love you Chakotay, I always have and was just too afraid to voice it; but it stops today."

Chakotay stared at her thinking that his dreams had come true; that he was finally getting the life that he had always hoped for.

He pulled her close and hugged her then went down and dove between her legs tasting the sweetness that was Kathryn Janeway.

He stared at the long hair and voiced, "Please tell me you'll never cut it off like you did in my world."

Kathryn nodded not trusting herself to speak as she felt the orgasm building and the feelings she'd always known she had coursing through her.

She sighed and he continued his ministrations taking her to the edge and back. Then he stared at her, caught in the throes of passion and felt she was ready for him.

He took off his clothes and positioned himself above her silently asking if she was ready.

She nodded without saying a word and he entered her carefully and felt his world in completion.

Kathryn felt him enter her and she felt yet another orgasm building as he moved in and out of her allowing her to set the pace and feeling it happening yet again.

She had always known they'd fit together perfectly and now she knew from firsthand experience.

She could stay here but she knew that the crew of Voyager needed her now more than ever.

She felt herself coming down and stared into the loving eyes of the man she would always be there for and who she hoped would always be there for her.

"I have to go Chakotay just know that I always loved you and I'm sure she loved you too."

He stared at her once again, "Just promise me something. In five years once you reach earth you won't go on that mission to see that dead Borg Cube that ends up taking my Kathryn from me."

Kathryn nodded. "I promise and I'm sorry for you loss."

Chakotay nodded and stared at her. "And thank you even if it was only for a moment in time."

She smiled, "It was a great moment in time for both of us."

She walked through the portal and ended up once again on Hanon. She looked around and realized there was no one else around: No one had seen her come or go.

She skulked around the caves and eventually ended up coming out to the area where the rest of the crew were searching for food stuffs.

She saw Chakotay and pulled him into the darkness of the caves. She spun him around and her lips captured his.

He pulled back staring at her confused, "Kathryn?"

She looked into his eyes. "This is the second time in as many months that we are stuck on an uninhabited planet for supposedly the rest of our lives: I'm not waiting anymore."

He bent down and enveloped her lips once again. She pulled away. "I love you Chakotay."

His heart soared as he heard the words he had been waiting - it felt like forever - to hear. "I love you too Kathryn, we'll be together forever."

She stared at him, "You can't promise me that Chakotay."

He stared back at her, "I guess I can't but I can promise that I'll do everything in my power to make the time we do have the best that it can be."

She smiled at him and slowly removed her uniform jacket.

His eyes got wide with lust as he watched her remove the top layer. "Do you know how long I have waited for this moment?"

She smiled, "Should I keep going?"

"What about the crew?"

Kathryn smirked. "Do you want them to watch? Or maybe join in?"

Chakotay laughed. "You're a kinky little minx aren't you?"

She continued to remove her uniform. She was soon naked before him and he stared at the beautiful woman before him.

"I love you so much Kathryn and this is more than I could ever have hoped for."

She snickered, "You seem to be overdressed Commander."

Chakotay stared at her and began disrobing before him. Her eyes got wide and began helping him in taking off layer after layer.

Soon the command couple were staring at each other in nothing but their undergarments.

Chakotay came closer to her and brought his hands around to her back and began undoing the clasps of her bra. He slowly brought down the straps exposing her ample breasts and she closed her eyes as the cool night air touched her sensitive nipples.

Chakotay watched as her nipples stood erect before him and reached out to caress the tender breasts.

Kathryn drew in a deep breath as his fingers worked their way around her areolas.

He smiled and showed her the dimples she had fallen in love with almost the moment she first saw them.

He slowly stripped her underwear and saw the nakedness underneath.

"It's cleaner and they gave me a treatment when I was a teenager to stop the hair growth."

Chakotay laughed, "Well the hair on your head makes up for it; and I don't mind it one bit."

She smiled and kissed his lips once more. "Glad you're okay with it."

"Kathryn I'd be okay with anything as long as it's you."

She brought her small hands up and pulled down his boxers. "Silk Commander, that definitely isn't regulation."

He smiled and their lips met once again. She grabbed his stiff shaft and slowly guided him towards her opening.

He slowly began the up and down movements and she felt the orgasm building.

She screamed out as the completion of the orgasm hit her. She slowly let out a breath and stared at him. "I hope we didn't wake up the crew."

He laughed, "You think we're the only ones who are doing this type of thing Kathryn?"

She smiled, "We could be here for the rest of our lives."

Chakotay nodded and brought his lips down to hers once again. "I love you so much Kathryn." He smirked, "You are a loud one aren't you?"

She winked at him and drew him down to lay next to her. "We need to get some sleep; who knows what tomorrow holds."

He nodded and held her as she fell into a restful sleep probably the first one she had had since they ended up on this god forsaken planet.

B'Elanna stared around the community that the crew had begun to build over the past couple of weeks despite the fact that the Captain held on to the belief that they would get rescued.

She walked to the farthest corner of the camp beyond where most people treaded. She walked to the back of the cave looking for the Captain and Commander.

What she found was beyond what she had expected.

Huddled in the darkened corner covered in nothing but Chakotay's jacket lay the Command Couple.

She smiled. She knew that Chakotay had feelings for his Captain; but she'd never in a million years thought that the Captain felt the same way.

She turned and walked away. Maybe this was giving them some good things after all.

Later that day B'Elanna approached Chakotay.

"You really should make sure the place you consummate your relationship is more private."

Chakotay did a double take and then quickly caught himself. "What are you talking about?"

B'Elanna smirked. "Let's just say I've seen more of the two of you then I ever thought I would."

Chakotay blushed a deep umber. "Please don't tell Kathryn what you saw. It might scare her away."

"Your secret's safe with me Chakotay; but you really should be more careful if you do want to keep this a 'private affaire'."

Chakotay stood up straight, "Duly noted Lieutenant."

Chakotay walked out of the tunnels. "I have some stuff I need to discuss with the Captain."

B'Elanna raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure you do."

Chakotay shook his head. Good thing it hadn't been Tom Paris, he thought.

Then he thought about the fact that he wasn't even sure if Mr. Paris was still alive. He had made a valiant effort to try and save the ship now all he had to do was hope that Tom had indeed made it alive.

He shook his head this disaster had already taken the life of at least one member of the crew and he hoped there wouldn't be too many more.

He walked out of the caves and towards Kathryn.

She turned around and smiled at him. "Well good morning Commander."

He stared at her, "Not as good as last night."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Do you think Tom made it?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I guess all we can do it wait and hope."

Kathryn looked at Chakotay, "I didn't think you liked Tom."

He let out a small laugh, "I just don't think that this crew needs to lose anyone else."

"Fair enough Chakotay but I think that this planet gave us some good things too. It made me see the light."

Chakotay kissed the top of her head. "Well, our chief engineer caught us in a compromising position. She says that we should be more careful if we want to keep this a secret."

Kathryn bowed her head, "Well I was hoping to keep us a secret for at least a little while."

"Well it was only B'Elanna and she said that our secret's safe with her until we bring it out in the open."

"Well you sound awful sure that this is going to work."

He stared into her eyes. "I know it is Kathryn."

She smiled, "I hope so." She smiled, "At least if it doesn't we had that one moment in time."

"Oh it will be more than that Kathryn I'm sure of it."

Kathryn just stared at him and brought her lips up to meet his. "Kathryn, what if the crew sees?"

She shrugged, "Then they see and we won't have to explain or hide anymore."

Around the corner B'Elanna watched with a smile on her face. Maybe despite the crew's dire circumstances things would be okay.

[2 days later – side of the mountain]

Chakotay stared at Kathryn. "I'm okay babe, and so is that woman that I saved."

She smacked him. "I could have lost you."

"I'm here to stay Kathryn."

All of a sudden they looked up and Kathryn saw Voyager gliding above. She smiled and looked at Chakotay.

They were all going home.

[6 weeks later – Voyager]

The relationship between Kathryn and Chakotay had progressed and the crew knew they were now a couple joined at the hip.

Kathryn seemed happier to the crew than she had ever been. Chakotay was delighted in the changes that had overtaken Kathryn.

That night they sat on the couch in her quarters that may as well have changed into their quarters.

They sipped on the wine that Chakotay kept hidden in the cargo bay. "So you never told me where you got the wine that you keep me supplied with."

He laughed, "I can't tell you all my secrets Kathryn."

She took another sip of the wine.

He glanced her way. "I think we should make the living arrangements permanent."

"Well you're here most of the time anyway."

He smiled and reached into his pocket pulling out a beautiful diamond ring. "Kathryn Janeway, would you do me the honour of being my wife?"

Kathryn stared at the ring. She stood up to reach out her hand nodded as she stood.

Chakotay placed the ring on her finger and smiled and then she collapsed.

He stared at the woman he loved that had agreed to be his wife then his brain kicked in and he hit his combadge. "Chakotay to sickbay."

He heard the acerbic voice of the Doctor. "Yes Commander, what is it."

"I need a medical team to the Captain's quarters. She just collapsed."

"Yes Commander, sending Mr. Paris over right away."

Chakotay drew in a deep breath, "Thank you Doctor. Chakotay out."

Five minutes later - what felt like the longest minutes of Chakotay's life - the door chimed and Chakotay let Tom in. "Okay so Commander what happened when she fainted?"

Chakotay was beside himself. "I had just proposed to her, she stood up and then she collapsed. We just found each other tell me she's okay."

Tom did a quick scan of her, focusing more on her stomach than anywhere else.

"Well?"

Tom's face scrunched up as he saw the readings. "Well, uh she appears to be fine but I need to get her to sickbay to check out some readings. "

Tom tapped his combadge, "Two to beam to sickbay."

And they disappeared and once again Chakotay was left alone with his thoughts.

[sickbay 20 minutes later]

The Doctor stared at the Captain lying on the bed with Tom and his tricorder making scans. "What seems to be the problem Mr. Paris?"

He looked at the Doctor, "I don't think there's a problem. She was in her quarters with the Commander: He proposed to her and then she fainted."

The Doctor took the tricorder with the readings that he had been taking. "Hmm, ah-huh."

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"If you think the Captain has a bun in the oven then yes you are."

The two heard the Captain beginning to stir from the center of sick bay. "Captain? Don't try to move too quickly you gave the Commander quite a scare and you need to try to stay still until your blood pressure comes back up."

Kathryn shook her head. "What's wrong with me?"

"Wrong? Nothing. You fainted."

Kathryn stared at the men, "I have never fainted before in my life."

The Doctor smirked, "Well you're going to have to be more careful now."

The Doctor turned around quickly as the doors to sickbay opened and Chakotay came running in. "Is she okay? What happened?"

The Doctor looked at Chakotay, "Nothing happened Commander. Well nothing that isn't at least partly your fault anyway."

Chakotay looked at the Doctor confused. "I'm sorry I never did anything to her."

Tom smiled, "Oh yes you did Commander."

Chakotay looked at Kathryn confused. "Kathryn what is he talking about?"

Kathryn shrugged, "I have no idea Chakotay. Doctor?"

The Doctor walked over to the couple. "Well Captain, Commander you have an uninvited guest. Not necessarily a bad thing but a new crewmember will be here in about seven months."

Kathryn shook her head. "Are you saying I'm pregnant? We're having a baby?"

"It appears so Captain."

"But I was on boosters. I shouldn't be able to get pregnant."

"You were on the planet with the Commander for a couple of months; then you were on the planet you called Hanon for two months. You were due for your booster six weeks ago."

Kathryn covered her face with her hands. Chakotay was staring at his soon to be wife. "I never meant for this to happen Chakotay. I'm so sorry."

Chakotay stared at her. He went up to her, pressing a hand to her belly. "We're going to have a baby Kathryn."

She stared at him. "You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

She stared at him hesitant, "We weren't trying to get pregnant. I'm the Captain and you're my first officer."

He walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug. "It will be okay Kathryn; and there isn't much we can do about it now."

She stared at him, tears in her eyes. "I suppose not. When do we tell the crew?"

He laughed, "How about we get through the marriage first." He looked at her, "We'll get you through this Kathryn."

She nodded and turned around realizing the Doctor was still there. "How does everything look Doctor?"

He stared into her, "Well you are a little older than most first time mothers, but as long as you stay safe and careful… I don't foresee any problems."

She nodded and turned to Chakotay. "Well I guess we should be getting home."

He smiled and off they went.

[Paris Quarters – after shift]

Tom walked into their quarters. He looked around for B'Elanna. "B'Elanna?"

"In here Tom. What's up? You have a stupid grin on your face."

He looked at B'Elanna as if he was going to spill his guts then he closed his mouth. "I can't say anything B'Elanna: Doctor-Patient confidentiality."

B'Elanna stared at her husband. "Is it about the Captain?"

Tom turned around surprised. "What did you hear?"

"Just that she fainted and they're getting married. Chakotay needed someone to talk to, too."

He took in a deep breath. "So you know about the baby then?"

B'Elanna's mouth opened surprised. "What?"

Tom's eyes grew wide, "Nothing, you didn't hear anything from me."

B'Elanna looked wide eyes at him. "Is the Captain pregnant?"

"I can't confirm that."

"Tom I caught them curled up together on Hanon. Everyone knows that they're a couple; it will make itself known soon enough so you may as well tell me."

He looked at his girlfriend, "Listen if I tell you, you can't tell anyone."

B'Elanna nodded.

"It's still early she's only about a month along: It's Chakotay's baby."

"Good thing Seska's wasn't his too."

"Not funny B'Elanna. This was a surprise to them both: They didn't mean for this to happen."

B'Elanna raised her hands in a surrender motion. "I won't even mention it. I won't tell until they do."

Tom nodded and brought her in for a hug. "Things are going to change on Voyager."

B'Elanna nodded.

[JANEWAY QUARTERS]

Kathryn walked into her quarters Chakotay in tow and walked up to the repliator. "Coffee: black."

She pulled the offending mug out of the replicator and brought it with her as she sat down in the living room. Kathryn pulled the mug up to her lips and smelled the aroma that was so engrained in her life.

She took one whiff of the coffee and quickly placed it back on the coffee table.

Chakotay walked up behind her. "Chakotay we were drinking wine this evening; and how much coffee have I had to drink in the last months?"

He walked up to her and was about to try to comfort her, when she kept going. She put her hands on her belly. "What if I hurt our baby?"

Chakotay took the coffee cup and put it back in the replicator and recycled it. "Hey don't jump the gun. The Doctor said she'd be fine."

She looked at him incredulous. "The Doctor didn't say it was a girl."

He laughed, "I always wanted a daughter."

She laughed, "That doesn't mean you'll get a daughter."

"But I can hope."

Kathryn put a hand on her abdomen. Does that mean you don't want a son?"

He smiled, "That means I will take whatever you give me."

She smiled a watery smile as she took what he said at face value. "I know this isn't what we planned for out here…"

"It was bound to happen Kathryn. A year ago, when we spoke of the crew beginning to have children and pairing off: Well here it is."

She shook her head, "Yeah but I'm the Captain do I have a right to do this?"

"You're the Captain you have to lead by example."

She began to cry, "But a baby?"

He tilted her head up, "Do you want this life?"

She sniffled quietly and nodded, "I think I always have, but I can't stop being the Captain."

He looked at her, "No one said anything about you not being the Captain anymore. You will always be the Captain - even if you're a mother too."

"To a child made by the Captain and the First Officer?"

He stared at her, "No one expects you to put your life on hold for seventy years."

"I am the Captain: I am supposed to put everything ahead of my own pleasure – my own life."

He sighed "So what are you going to do about our child?" He had a sinking suspicion. "There are only three choices: Have it, abort it or put it into stasis for a later time. No offense Kathryn but you're not that young if you decide to put it into stasis you won't have that many years to be able to carry it."

Kathryn drew in a deep breath and stared at Chakotay. "I have so much on my plate without having to worry about a child. Will putting a baby into the mix strain our command relationship?"

Chakotay looked deep into her eyes, "Will getting rid of this child strain our relationship?"

She let her jaw drop. He was basically telling her if she chose not to have the baby they were done. He was giving her an ultimatum.

"So you're basically telling me that if I don't have this baby we're done."

"That's not what I said Kathryn I just can't picture you aborting our baby not having a deleterious effect on us."

Kathryn dropped her head. "I need time Chakotay."

"Time's up Kathryn."

Kathryn walked out of her quarters and made her way to the messhall. She walked in and was attacked by Neelix with a steaming cup of black coffee. "Thank you Neelix; but I don't think I need coffee at the moment."

Neelix looked at her strangely and took the offending cup of coffee and gave her a plate with today's special on it. "Thank you Neelix."

Kathryn went and sat at her usual table in the back corner of the messhall.

Twenty minutes later Tom and B'Elanna came into the messhall for supper. They took their meals and made their way to the other side of the room to sit down for dinner.

B'Elanna stared at Tom. "Check it out Tom. She's sitting all by herself at a table at the back of the messhall. Where is Chakotay?"

Tom shrugged. "I have no idea B'E."

B'Elanna stood up, "I think I'm going to go and talk to her. She could probably use a friend right now."

Tom looked at her, "Good luck."

B'Elanna slowly approached the Captain. "May I sit down?"

Kathryn nodded, "I could use the company right about now."

She looked at her Captain, "No one will think any less of you if you go through with the pregnancy Captain."

Kathryn's jaw dropped open in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Tom didn't tell me I kind of guessed and then he was so flustered he couldn't really deny it." She watched as Kathryn let her head fall to her hands. "He wouldn't betray your confidence."

"So no one else knows?"

"Not yet but you can't keep it a secret for too long. You and Chakotay will make great parents."

She looked at her Engineer. "What if I choose not to have it?"

B'Elanna drew in a deep breath, "Could you actually do that? Chakotay would never forgive you if you aborted his baby Kathryn."

Kathryn looked at B'Elanna with eyes bright with unshed tears. "No I don't; and how could I run the ship without him? How could I ever look at myself in the mirror if I did that?"

"Then don't. I told you the crew wouldn't think any less of you just because you had a baby."

"Maybe you and Tom are willing to accept a Captain with a very big weakness but what about the rest of the crew? What about the other Maquis who are just starting to accept being on a Starfleet vessel? What about –"

"Captain, this all has to be talked over with Chakotay. This has to be yours and his decision. You can't let other factors influence your decision."

With that B'Elanna got up and made her way back over to Tom, leaving Kathryn with much more to think about than she cared to at that moment.

END PART I

TBC IN PART II


	2. Chapter 2

The Guardian, Part 2  
by: AW

Date: September 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 5,204 words

She had watched Tom and B'Elanna walk out of the mess hall. B'Elanna had given her a lot to think about. They really didn't care that she was as human as the rest of them?

She knew it was true: Chakotay wouldn't forgive her if she aborted. This was his child, his future.

She found herself in the airponics bay and she sat amongst the plants.

She heard the door opening and looked up to see Kes walking in.

Kes looked around the airponics bay. She sensed someone was there but saw no one around.

Seeing and sensing were two completely different things. She closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint the essence of who was there.

Whoever it was, they were troubled.

She sighed and felt the temptation of the person to run.

Whoever it was, they were troubled and afraid.

She felt the fear, the anxiety and the dread. She felt before she heard the tears begin. As she rounded the corner she saw the Captain.

"Captain? What's wrong?"

The Captain wiped her face trying to remove any remnants of tears from her face. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

Kes stared at the Captain and felt the terror of not knowing what she was doing.

The Captain who was always in control and who always had all the answers was floundering.

Kes looked at the Captain concerned and tried to understand the emotional state and the moods she was feeling from the indestructible and fearless Captain Janeway.

Kathryn stared at the Ocampan woman, not three years old and yet wise beyond her years.

"Captain; do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

She stared at Kes, "I'm pregnant. It wasn't planned it was a total accident."

Kes smiled, "That's wonderful."

Kathryn shook her head. "I can't have a baby. It won't work."

Kes looked at her, "Why won't it work? Why can't you have this baby?" She stared at her confused. "You made this baby. What does its father think?"

Kathryn drew in a deep breath. "The Commander is ecstatic. He wants this child so badly. He thinks we can make it work."

"What makes you think that you can't make it work?"

Kathryn hesitated. "I'm the Captain. He's my First Officer. What if something goes wrong? What if I lose this baby? Will he ever forgive me? Will I ever forgive myself?"

She smiled at the Captain. "You made the baby together so obviously something worked. As for will he forgive you if you lose the baby? What makes you think you won't make it to the end of the pregnancy?"

Kathryn sighed. "I was pregnant with Mark's baby when we got stranded in the Delta Quadrant. When we were experimented on by the Caretaker, I lost the child. I was only six weeks pregnant. I never forgave myself and Mark never knew. Now here I am two years later pregnant with another man's child. Not only am I pregnant with another man's child – he's a Maquis felon and he's my First Officer."

"Captain, I think you're thinking too hard about things that no longer matter."

Kathryn shook her head, "How can you say it no longer matters? There is still dissention among the crew; we just got back from being stranded on a planet because one former member of Chakotay's crew turned against us. How can we be sure that this is going to work?"

"How do you ever know that anything is going to work? I think you need to speak with Chakotay about this, I think you're thinking too hard about things that don't matter."

Kathryn nodded and turned to leave the aeropnics bay. "Oh and by the way Captain. Congratulations."

Kathryn nodded her thanks and moved towards the door and made her way back to her quarters were and hopefully Chakotay would still be waiting for her.

She entered her quarters and saw Chakotay slumbering on her couch. She walked up to him and brought her feather light touches along his cheek. He slowly woke. "Kathryn?"

"I need to apologize for being so unsure about the baby, about us. I want this so badly, it just scares the hell out of me. I have been pregnant before."

Chakotay shook his head, "What happened to the child?"

"I was pregnant with Mark's child when we came to the Delta Quadrant, but she didn't make it through the tests by the Caretaker. I was only six weeks along, so there really wasn't anything that could be done."

Chakotay stared at the woman he loved. "I had no idea."

"No one did. It's not exactly something you announce. It was only supposed to be a three week mission and then I was going to go home, get married have the baby and probably take a desk job until our child was old enough to go to school or be left with a nanny or anything, I hadn't thought that far ahead. I should have a two year old daughter right now."

He brought her in for a hug. "So destroying the array had very real consequences for you."

"I was still pregnant. The baby had died but I didn't know that until after wards." She sighed, "I just don't want our baby to suffer the same fate because I'm the Captain and this is a very dangerous job."

He put his hand down to her belly. "Nothing is going to happen to our baby. We just have to be more careful. You won't go on any dangerous away missions and we don't tell the crew until you're in the safe zone past 12 weeks."

Kathryn nodded and began weeping. "This is probably my last chance to have a baby. I hope Starfleet understands when we get back. I hope Mark understands. I hope my mom understands-"

Chakotay wondered about the woman who seemed to hold the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Kathryn was an enigma. She was like an onion that kept getting the layers peeled away revealing more and more of the woman underneath.

He began stroking her hair and his other hand went to rest on her belly. "Nothing will happen to this baby. I will keep you both safe."

Kathryn sniffled and nodded. "I think that we should start planning the wedding. I want to get the marriage taken care of while I can still fit in a wedding dress."

Chakotay nodded and took out a pad and the planning began.

[2 WEEKS LATER – JANEWAY QUARTERS]

B'Elanna stared at the Captain. She looked so beautiful and so much less like the Captain today.

Today was her wedding day. She and the Commander were going to be wed. Janeway had asked B'Elanna to be her maid of honour. She had graciously accepted and was now getting her ready for the big day.

Kathryn stared at her chief engineer, "Can you tell?"

B'Elanna shook her head. "Not yet, how far along are you now?"

"Ten weeks. I suppose give it another month and there will be no hiding the fact that I have a baby growing in here. Were the crew surprised by the fact that we chose to we so fast?"

B'Elanna smirked. "I think everyone saw the chemistry between you two from the minute he transported onto your bridge."

"Well it's our bridge now, and I know. I was attracted to him from the moment I saw him; but I was engaged to Mark. I was pregnant with his baby. In my mind it was a done deal."

B'Elanna got a shocked look on her face and her jaw dropped. "I knew you were engaged but I had no idea that you were pregnant when we got to the Delta Quadrant."

Janeway nodded, "Well I don't want to get into that now, I don't want to start crying and ruin my makeup."

"Fair enough. You'll have to tell me about that someday. When we were all trapped in the Delta Quadrant by you, we assumed you were one of those idealistic Starfleet Captain who had nothing left for her in the Alpha Quadrant; but you had more to lose then any of us."

Kathryn nodded, "Well let's get going shall we? Chakotay and Tom will be waiting for us in the mess hall."

B'Elanna nodded and led the way.

[MESS HALL – WEDDING DAY]

Chakotay stared at Tom. "You have the wedding rings?"

Tom stared at Chakotay. "Would I be that careless?"

Chakotay glared at Tom. "With the way you've been acting lately –"

"Kathryn hasn't spoken to you about that?"

"Well she said that you can be trusted and so can B'Elanna. I trust her with my life therefore if she says that you two can be trusted: I trust her."

Tom stared at the man who had once been his enemy but who he was now the best man to. "Talk to her about this, I'm sure you'll understand everything then."

Chakotay gave him an odd look then nodded. He would talk to Kathryn about this later.

He turned around and saw that his bride was entering the mess hall. She was beautiful.

The white dress hugged her in all the right places and her red hair cascaded down he back in beautiful waves. The makeup was beautiful it brought out her big bright blue eyes and the makeup curved her high cheekbones in just the right way.

B'Elanna was a magician when it came to makeup.

The crowd took a large intake of breath as Kathryn walked down the aisle towards Chakotay.

He sighed staring at the woman that was going to be his wife and the mother of his child.

She came up to him and took his hands.

Tuvok was going to do the ceremony she had transferred Command to Tuvok for the meantime to perform the ceremony then it would be transferred back to Kathryn after the wedding was performed legally.

After today Chakotay and Kathryn would be husband and wife.

The Command couple bringing Voyager home to Earth.

Tuvok took the conversation for a second and looked at Chakotay. "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife under federation law?"

Chakotay stared at Kathryn and took the ring that was handed to him by Tom. "I do."

"And do you Kathryn Janeway take Chakotay to be your lawfully wedded husband under federation law?"

She took the matching ring handed to her by Tom. "I do."

"Then under Federation law I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

There was hooting and hollering, as they kissed for the first time as husband and wife. Tom patted Chakotay on the shoulder. "Congratulations you two."

B'Elanna rushed up and hugged Kathryn then Chakotay. "Congratulations."

Kathryn took Chakotay's hand and they walked out of the mess hall and towards their quarters.

They entered their quarters and immediately she brought her lips up to his.

He began taking her dress down. "Finally that dress just fits and it's a good thing we didn't wait too long, my hips have begun widening."

He stared at her still seeing her trim body. "I don't think you've gained any weight."

Kathryn scoffed, "I've put on five pounds already."

Chakotay looked her up and down. "You're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

She laughed, "Glad you think so I'm married to you now."

He continued taking the wedding dress down. "More comfortable now?"

"Much but you seem way overdressed."

He laughed and untied his bowtie. "That can be rectified." She undid the buttons on his shirt and slowly pulled down his pants.

She stared at his straining erection, "It seems someone is ready to go."

Chakotay stared down and said, "Only for you my dear."

She smiled and got down on her knees and enveloped him in hot mouth. Sucking up and down forcing the stiffness in the member even more so than was already evident.

"Goodness Kathryn, I can't last if you keep doing that."

Kathryn approached him in only her bra and underwear. He stared at the lacy white attire. "I've always looked good in white."

His lips met hers as she got as close to his body as she could. He looked down at her lithe body and wrapped his arms around to undue the clasps of her bra.

Her breasts bounded out and he looked at the beauty before him.

Her once pink nipples had taken on an almost cocoa hue as her body began preparing for the birth of their child.

It was really the only outward appearance that she was carrying a miracle.

He stared at her and began worshipping her breasts. She took a quick intake of breath as he touched the sensitive nipples.

"Don't stop; just be careful."

"Is it the only 'symptom' that you've been experiencing?"

She brought his hand down to feel her bloated belly. It had become more rounded. "I'm not showing but I feel the difference." She blushed, "And I do feel a little queasy in the mornings."

Chakotay stared at her concerned. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

She looked at him. "Look at how you react to a little queasiness and sore breasts. There was no reason for me to worry you about nothing. The Doctor told me they were just the beginning of pregnancy symptoms. They'll get worse before the end and you will no doubt be privy to morning sickness and sore body parts from bloating; and worse caffeine withdrawal symptoms so just let me have the beginning indicators to myself."

Chakotay stared at his wife. "You know I love you right? I want to be a part of everything that this pregnancy has to offer good or bad."

She grinned, "We'll see what you have to say about that when I've gained 30 pounds and am large as a house."

"I hardly think that will happen."

She placed her hands on her belly where their child grew. "I need you to help me see this through Chakotay. I need to keep being me, keep being that Captain even if I'm pregnant."

Chakotay walked up to her. "I know, and I will help you in any way I can."

Kathryn fell into his embrace, "Right now… I need you. I need to feel like a woman. I need to feel like your wife."

He bent down and let his lips engage hers. He slowly took his boxers off and picked Kathryn's small form up to take her into the bedroom.

This was their wedding night and he was going to make it count.

He brought her into the bedroom. He had given the access code to Ensign Kim and had asked him to cover the bed with rose petals and set up chocolate fondue and strawberries.

Kathryn opened her eyes and saw their bedroom covered with Roses, and chocolate covered strawberries. He remembered they were her favourite.

She smiled at Chakotay. "How did you manage to get all this done? This was still my normal bedroom before I left for the marriage ceremony."

"I still have a few contacts."

She smiled, "Its lovely Chakotay." She looked into his eyes, "Thank you."

He laid her down on the bed and began his ministrations. He looked at the stomach just starting to show the most minute signs of his baby making her way to the world.

He rubbed her belly and made his way down to the clean space of her mound. He placed one finger then two inside her wet heat and began movements. He heard her moan.

Chakotay let his mouth lick around the areolas as he continued his movements inside her cave. He continued and he heard her breathing speed up as she got close to the precipice and finally she let go and he felt her muscles clench.

He felt his shaft get overly stiff as he got himself ready to enter her.

"You ready sweetheart?"

She nodded as he kissed her belly and then got ready to enter her.

She looked into his eyes as he entered her. "I love you Chakotay.

He smiled and showed her the dimples she loved, "I know and I love you too Kathryn."

They made love that night more times than many couples make love in a week.

The next morning they got up and went to the bridge. Tuvok was waiting for them. "Captain, Commander you ready to take Command again?"

Kathryn grinned, "Yes and thank you again Tuvok."

"Very well. Computer transfer command codes to Kathryn Janeway authorization phi-zeta-four."

The computer answered. "Command of U.S.S. Voyager is now under command of Captain Kathryn Janeway."

She smiled and went immediately to the center command chair. She saw the anomaly that looked familiar yet different. "Analysis, Mister Kim."

Harry stared at his readings "It's a class seventeen nebula. I'm detecting standard amounts of hydrogen, and helium, and seven thousand parts per million of sirillium."

B'Elanna stared at the Captain. "Captain, I recommend we use the Bussard collectors to gather the sirillium. They'll cut through that nebula like ice cream scoops."

Tom piped up, "I'm picking up a lot of plasmatic turbulence in there. It might be a bumpy ride."

Kathryn turned to look at Tuvok. "Tuvok, can you modify the shields to compensate?" All of a sudden she heard Tuvok's breathing become shallow and his hands began twitching.

Kathryn and Chakotay stared at each other confused. Kathryn turned to Tuvok, "Tuvok."

Chakotay turned away from Kathryn and looked to Tuvok, "Are you all right, Lieutenant?'

"I don't know. I'm experiencing dizziness and disorientation. Permission to go to sickbay."

"Granted."

[SICKBAY]

Tuvok ran to sickbay as he entered he collapsed his eyes staring wide at the Doctor silently asking for help.

Finally he looked to the Doctor and then to Kes. "I was holding a young girl by the hand, tying to prevent her from falling from a precipice. I was unable to keep my grip, and she fell to her death; and there is more. I had an emotional response: anxiety, fear. An almost irrational anger at myself for letting her fall."

Kes looked at him curious. "When did that happen?"

"It never happened. The girl was unfamiliar, and I've never been in that situation. It was me as a child, and it did seem like a memory, but I don't recall the incident."

The Doctor, smugness showing answered the question. "Well, it was definitely a traumatic episode. Your heart rate accelerated to three hundred beats per minute. Your adrenaline levels rose by one hundred thirteen percent and your neuroelectrical readings nearly jumped off the scale. If you were human, I'd say you had a severe panic attack."

"I am not human."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "No kidding. I don't know what happened to you, but there can be any number of explanations. Hallucination, telepathic communication from another race, repressed memory, momentary contact with a parallel reality. Take your pick. The universe is such a strange place."

Kathryn walked up to the trio, "I'll have Mister Kim examine the sensor logs. Maybe our proximity to the nebula is affecting you somehow."

Finally the Doctor looked at the Captain and at Tuvok. "In the meantime, Lieutenant, you are free to go. All of your vital signs have returned to normal, and I don't see any residual systemic damage. But I want you to wear this neurocortical monitor. In case you have another episode, it'll record a complete encephalographic profile and alert sickbay at the same time."

The Doctor placed a cortical monitor behind Tuvok's ear and moved so that Tuvok could get ready to leave. Tuvok stares at the Doctor, "A wise precaution, Doctor. Thank you."

[ENGINEERING]

Finally Chakotay and Tuvok made their way to engineering to try and figure out why this was happening.

Chakotay stared at Tuvok, "Maybe you should try to forget what happened.

"It is difficult to forget when you're wearing a neurocortical monitor on your parietal bone."

He almost laughed at that, "Good point."

He turned to Harry looking for answers. "Mister Kim?"

"I checked all the sensor logs. There's no sign of anything emanating from the nebula that would have affected Tuvok or Voyager."

Chakotay was frustrated, "Anything unusual about the nebula itself?"

"No, it's a standard class seventeen."

Tuvok entered the conversation and started babbling about things that make no sense. Speaking about things that make sense in the Alpha Quadrant. Finally Chakotay pipe up, "Maybe you should go back to Sickbay. Tuvok?"

Tuvok looked at the Commander as if he was frightened. He had sweat on his brow and finally he collapsed. Chakotay caught him and dragged him to sickbay before anything more could happen.

[SICKBAY]

The Doctor was speaking with Janeway. "I think we may be dealing with a repressed memory. The memory engrams in the dorsal region of the hippocampus are being disrupted. It's causing physical damage to the surrounding tissue. In Vulcan medicine, this is known as t'lokan schism. It means that the subject is inhibiting a traumatic memory, which is beginning to resurface."

Kathryn looked confused and concerned. "And that's causing brain damage?"

The Doctor looked smugly at Janeway, "Strange, I know. In human subjects, repressed memories are nothing more than psychological traumas which can be dealt with, with standard therapeutic techniques; but in Vulcans, there is a physical reaction to the battle between the conscious and the unconscious. In extreme cases, the mind of the patient can literally lobotomise itself."

"What's the treatment?"

"There is no medical treatment for this condition. Vulcan psychocognitive research suggests that the patient initiate a mind-meld with a family member, and the two of them attempt to bring the repressed memory into the conscious mind."

Kathryn looked at the Doctor a glimmer of hope finally making itself known. "I'm the closest thing Tuvok has to a family member on this ship."

Kathryn had a bad feeling and placed her hand on her belly. "That's why I've asked you to come. He has a request to make of you."

Kathryn stared at the Doctor. "Are there any chances of it hurting me?"

"I'm not sure we have to wait and see what he has in mind."

Tuvok is sat on the biobed, eyes closed meditating.

Janeway walked up to Tuvok, he sensed her approach. "Did the doctor explain the situation to you?"

"Yes. Tuvok, are you sure it's the right thing to do?"

Tuvok began the explanation and Kathryn listened trying to figure out what she was getting herself into, "I don't know how else to proceed. The Doctor tells me that this is a memory. And yet, no matter how hard I try, I cannot remember. If the Doctor is correct, if this is an experience I pushed into my unconscious mind, it could be very dangerous to me, even life-threatening. I realise it's asking a great deal of you, Captain, and I did consider turning to one of the Vulcans on the ship, but this meld would be more intimate than most. A family member is normally chosen because of the implicit trust that usually exists. On this ship, I trust you more than anyone else."

Finally when Kathryn realized what was in store for her she answered. "Whatever happens, I'll be there for you, Tuvok. I'll help you get through this."

"I will initiate the meld and attempt to access the memory fragment. Once that has been accomplished, you will act as my pyllora."

"Your pyllora?"

He explained exactly what was expected of her. She drew in a deep breath. "When do we start?"

"I will need time to prepare. Please return in one hour."

Kathryn stared at him, "I need to speak with the Commander anyway."

[JANEWAY QUARTERS]

Chakotay looked her incredulously. "Absolutely not. You are not doing this and putting yourself and our child in danger."

"You said you wouldn't stand in the way of me being Captain if I went through with this pregnancy."

"I also told you I'd keep you safe."

They were once again at an impasse. "I need to do this for Tuvok. I have known him and he has been my friend for too long."

"What about me? You married me –"

"Against Tuvok's better judgment and I'm wondering if he was right."

Chakotay drew in a deep breath and stared at his wife. "Does he know you're pregnant? Because if he did I don't think he'd ask this of you."

"We decided to do this together and to not tell the crew before it became glaringly obvious."

Chakotay sighed, "If you do this I want the Doctor to stop whatever it is that's going on if it becomes too dangerous."

Kathryn nodded. "I'll make sure that happens."

[SICKBAY]

One hour later, Tuvok and Janeway are sitting opposite each other in chairs, in the surgery bay. Tuvok and Janeway are both wearing cortical monitors. A precaution the Doctor had insisted upon.

The Doctor walked up to the officers. "We're ready when you are, Captain. If you're sure you want to do this."

Tuvok put his hands to the Captain's temples. "Your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts. I am taking us back, back to the boy that I was, the boy lying on the precipice."

They arrived on the Excelsior Bridge and their minds were linked. Tuvok stared at his Captain and oldest friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kathryn bowed her head, "Would you have let me go through with it if you knew?"

Later in sickbay as Chakotay watched from the corner exactly what he had feared happened.

Kes stared at the Doctor, "Doctor, what's happening?"

"Their memory engrams are destabilising. Something must be going wrong with the mind-meld. I'm going to bring them out of it."

"It's not working."

"Their neural patterns appear to be locked together. I can't break the meld. The damage to his synaptic patterns is accelerating. At this rate, he'll be brain dead in twenty minutes. Get me a cortical stimulator!"

Chakotay watched helpless as his life shattered before his eyes. "Doctor you have to save her. If it's her or the baby save her we can make another baby."

The Doctor nodded and placed something on Tuvok's forehead.

"I've programmed a cortical stimulator to emit thoron radiation. We'll bombard his telepathic cortex. That should be enough to terminate the meld. We'll begin with a twenty kilo dyne burst of five second duration on my mark. Now. It's working. Their neural patterns are starting to separate. My God!"

Chakotay goes up to where Kathryn and Tuvok are fused in the mind meld. "What is it?"

"Is that a third memory engram? How's that possible? Save her Doctor."

"So you're saying it's a virus."

The Doctor looked at the Commander. "I think so. The thoron radiation must have caused it to manifest itself. Increasing the radiation levels should destroy it." He turned to Chakotay, "I'm sorry Commander."

He turned back to Kes, "Go to forty kilo dynes, ten second burst. Now."

Chakotay looked on helpless as the Doctor pumped radiation into his wife. "Save her please!"

The Doctor smiled, "It's working. The mind-meld is almost broken and the radiation appears to be killing the virus. Increase thoron levels to –"

The monitor beeped and Chakotay was beside himself. "What the hell is going on Doctor?"

"The virus is migrating. It's embedding itself in the captain's brain. Cortical stimulator!"

He took the device from Kes, "Program a fifty kilo dyne burst, five second duration on my mark. Now."

Chakotay heard a beep and then watched motionless as the cortical monitors pumped the radiation in the two officers brains.

The Doctor looked to the distraught commander, "The virus protein structures are breading down. It's dying."

He turned to Kes, "Increase thoron radiation to eighty kilo dynes, fifteen seconds. Now."

The meld is finally broken and Chakotay rushes up to his wife who has finally come out of the stupor.

"It's clearly a viral parasite of some kind but its origin and genome classification are not on record."

Kes looked at the Captain and Commander. "We were able to kill it using thoron radiation."

Kathryn put a hand to her belly and felt like crying. "Am I still pregnant?"

The Doctor looked at her, "Yes you have one very stubborn little girl in there."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "So there should be no more problems with her?"

"Not that I foresee but you have to think about more than just you now. You can't go taking reckless chances."

Tuvok walked up to his oldest friend and her husband. "If I had known, I never would have asked this of her."

Chakotay stared at him, "She should have known better. She knew she was pregnant and took the risk anyway."

The Captain did not like getting talked about as if she wasn't there. "Am I free to leave Doctor?"

The Doctor shook his head, "Yes but I want you and Commander Chakotay to be careful over the next few days. No bridge duty."

Kathryn knew when she had been beaten. "Yes Doctor."

[JANEWAY QUARTERS]

The couple walked into their quarters. "We almost lost you Kathryn. You can't go taking risks like that anymore. I told the Doctor if it was you or the baby he had to save you."

Kathryn felt herself getting angry. "How can you say that? It's my daughter."

"And we can always make another baby we can't make another you."

Kathryn was seething. "It might not even be your baby, not yet anyway."

Chakotay shook his head. "What?"

"When we were on Hannon I met the Guardian of Forever. I went to the future and had sex with him before we ever got together."

Chakotay shook his head. "So what would you have done if you had ended up pregnant and we didn't end up together?"

Kathryn was mad now. "Can you picture me offering myself to you and you saying no?"

"That's not the point Kathryn."

She shook her head. "That is exactly the point. You chased me around for two years. And then we ended up on New Earth and I realized my mistake."

"And why didn't you tell me?"

They stared at each other. "I couldn't. Not without knowing for sure how you'd react. If you had turned me down I would not have been able to handle it."

"So you approached a future me without any risk."

"It was a calculated risk and I took it."

"Damn it Kathryn –"

Kathryn drew in a deep pained breath and laid a hand on her abdomen. A cramp overtook her and she doubled over in pain. "No… not again."

Chakotay stared at her frightened and made a call over his combadge. "Chakotay to Paris. Can you come to the Captain's quarters, I think she's losing the baby."

He heard a hesitation and then heard B'Elanna tell him to go. "I'll be right there Commander. Paris out."

Kathryn looked at Chakotay through frightened blue eyes. "I am so sorry."

END PART 2

TBC IN PART 3


	3. Chapter 3

The Guardian, Part 3  
by: AW

Date: September 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 3,916 words

Chakotay rushed over to Kathryn. She was doubled over in pain. He said a silent prayer to not let her lose this baby it would kill her.

The door chime rang. "Come in Paris."

Tom ran over to where Kathryn was writing in pain. "The baby is detaching from the uterus. I have to get her to sickbay now."

Chakotay nodded.

"Paris to transporter room 2. Two to beam directly to sickbay."

Chakotay heard the operator acknowledge the command and watched as Tom and Kathryn disappeared in a blue shimmering light.

Chakotay felt the wetness on his cheeks and privately berated himself for causing this tragedy.

[SICKBAY]

The Doctor rushed over to where the Captain lay on the biobed. "What happened?"

Tom shook his head, "I don't know Doc. Chakotay called me to their quarters and when I got there she was in so much pain. I gave her a hypospray for the pain and then did a quick scan. The placenta was detaching and the baby looked like it would miscarry. I saw the blood and got her transported right here."

The Doctor nodded and began his own scans. The child was indeed in bad shape. He turned to Tom. "Mr. Paris, get scrubbed and help me. Let's see if we can't save the Captain's miracle child as she put it."

Tom nodded and went to the surgical area to get sanitized and try to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

[6 HOURS LATER – SICKBAY]

Chakotay had heard nothing from anyone about his wife's condition.

He slowly walked into sickbay and saw in the darkened bay Kathryn lay sleeping peacefully. He drew in a deep breath, "Computer activate the EMH."

The Doctor shimmered into existence, "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

He looked around and saw not two feet from the door the Captain's husband. "Commander."

Chakotay looked up at the trick of light and sound, "Is she okay?"

The Doctor sighed, "She will be."

"She's not now?"

"Her body needs to rest."

Chakotay was almost afraid to ask his second question? "Our daughter?"

"I saved her for now but she is still very fragile and at a critical stage of development."

Chakotay let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. "And Kathryn? She's okay?"

"For the moment they're both doing alright. When she came in her blood pressure was so high it's no wonder her body tried to terminate the pregnancy."

He looked over to where his wife slept peacefully. "Can I go see her?"

"She is sedated and will be for the foreseeable future, until I think that both she and the baby are out of danger."

Chakotay nodded he knew when he'd been dismissed and summarily left sickbay, his heart on his sleeve.

[PARIS QUARTERS]

B'Elanna stalked up to her fiancé, "What happened?"

Tom was angry, "She almost lost the baby is what happened."

He was pacing back and forth. "It took both the Doctor and I and 4 hours of microsurgery to make sure the pregnancy was even viable. They both still have a long road ahead of them."

"Is Kathryn okay?"

"She's sedated now. It will be a couple of days before we even know if the pregnancy is going to stay viable."

B'Elanna nodded. "Has anyone heard from Chakotay?"

He spun around on her. "When Kathryn was admitted to sickbay her stress levels were so high that I don't know what he said to her to get her that strung out. He is lucky to have a woman like Kathryn Janeway – and she's willing to go through a pregnancy for him and then god knows what he said to her."

B'Elanna shook her head. "That p'taq. If he did anything to hurt her I will hurt him."

Tom turned to her. "We don't know what happened and its really none of our business."

B'Elanna turned to him, "I think it's time we found out what happened. I'm going to visit our First Officer. I'll be back and hopefully with some answers about what happened."

[JANEWAY QUARTERS – 20 MINUTES LATER]

Chakotay had been trying to find peace for the past hour. _What have I done?_ He had been unable to contact his spirit guide and unable to let sleep overtake him.

Finally he got up and went to the replicator and ordered a coffee.

As he sat down to look at the duty roster for the next day he heard the chime ring and told whoever it was to go away.

He heard tampering with the lock and was amazed to find B'Elanna come into their quarters. "What do you want B'Elanna? I told you to go away."

"Not until you answer some questions for me. What the hell did you do to her?"

He stared at her incredulous. "I didn't do anything to her. She came in blaming me for not letting her do her job as Captain because I told her she wasn't going on away missions that were dangerous anymore – at least not until the baby was here safe and sound."

"Tom just spent four hours trying to save your baby because when she got transported to sickbay she was so strung out and in the process of miscarrying."

Chakotay bowed his head, "The Doctor said both her and the baby were okay for now though."

"For now being the operative word."

"What happened?"

He paused and looked B'Elanna in the face. "She told me the baby might not even be mine."

"Tom scanned the baby it has yours and her DNA in it. That is your child."

She told me when she was on Hanon she met the Guardian of Forever and he brought her to a future where she was dead, but I was alive. Before she even finally came to me, she slept with him." He paused, "B'Elanna it wasn't me. It was a future version of me but not me. It's possible that I wasn't even responsible for the conception of our daughter."

B'Elanna shook her head. "Why would she do that? She loves you. You're the one she married."

"She told me that it was safe to go and do it with a future me. He had just lost the love of his life 'Admiral Kathryn Janeway' to a Borg attack and he was vulnerable. If I was him I would not have turned her away either; but why didn't she just come to me. She told me that after she rejected my advances on New Earth that she wasn't sure that I would accept her advances now."

She looked at the broken man before her. "I'm sorry, but she did come to you; she did marry you and she is carrying your daughter. You can't blame her for something she did in another life to another you. It's not fair to her and it's not fair to you and it's not fair to that little girl she's carrying. You two have to figure this out."

He sighed, "I know that B'Elanna but I'm not sure how."

[PARIS QUARTERS – 2 HOURS LATER]

B'Elanna finally went back to her quarters after listening to the lamentations of their First Officer for almost two hours.

Listening to how he loved Kathryn; how he couldn't imagine his life without her and about his child she carried and how the little girl had to be okay.

Tom stared at her. "So what did you learn?"

"That those two aren't nearly as perfect as everyone thinks they are and that they've had their ups and downs and that in many ways Kathryn is as much to blame for this as Chakotay."

Tom shook his head. "Care to elaborate?"

B'Elanna yawned. "Not tonight helm-boy. I'm exhausted; and Kathryn and Chakotay are going to need us at our best to try and keep this crew together while they try to keep themselves together."

Tom nodded and he followed her into the bedroom where they fell into an exhausted sleep.

[SICKBAY]

Chakotay sat by Kathryn's bed. He rubbed her hair, her beautiful red hair. He hoped their daughter looked more like her than him.

"Kathryn I don't know if you can hear me but I don't care if this is my child or not. You did something impulsive, but the decisions like this are what make you a great Captain. Please come back to me."

He got up and left. They had to go to Akritiria today to attempt trade negotiations. Kathryn had set this meeting up before anything happened with her. He hoped the Akritirians would take him as their liason with Tuvok in her absence.

From the corner of the sickbay the Doctor watched the broken man speaking to his wife: the woman he loved. He hoped they would come out of this unscathed.

[AKRITIRIA]

Tom and Harry had been sent down to the planet to perform trade negotiations.

They had been told what to expect and who to speak to.

Three hours later they were still trying to trade for the supplies that Voyager needed when all of a sudden they were taken by guards.

Tom piped up, "What's the meaning of this?"

"You have been tried and found guilty of the bombing."

Harry shook his head "What bombing?" He looked at the ambassador, "We have been here performing trade negotiations the whole time in question."

"Your ship is Dilitium based and the bomb has been found to have been made of Trilithium, easily converted."

Kim and Paris were given an injection to quiet them down and taken to a shuttle.

They had been caught, tried and sentenced as bombers.

[VOYAGER – BRIDGE]

B'Elanna came storming onto the bridge. "What do you mean they're being held for crimes they 'committed'? You know that Tom and Harry wouldn't create a bomb and detonate it on an alien planet for no reason."

Chakotay looked to his chief engineer. "Calm down this isn''t going to help matters." He turned to Tuvok. "Anything?"

"I have completed another full sensor sweep, including multispectral subsurface scans. I still cannot locate their life signs or their comm. badges."

The ensign at the comm looked up. "Commander, Ambassador Liria is hailing us."

'On screen. I'm only in a mood for good news today, Ambassador."

The ambassador stared at the Commander from across the view screen, "I'm afraid I can't oblige."

Chakotay stared at him, "Are you saying they're dead?"

"No, they're very much alive."

Chakotay stared at the man, "Then where are they?"

He gave Chakotay a sinister grin, "Your men have been convicted of the terrorist bombing at the Laktivia recreational facility, which resulted in the death of forty seven off-duty patrollers."

"I assure you, Ambassador, my people had nothing to do with this attack."

"We found chemical traces of the explosive used in the bombing on their hands and clothing."

I'm sure the same could be said of anyone who was near the explosion. It's hardly enough evidence for a conviction.

This bantering went on for about 20 minutes. Chakotay assuring Lyria the Tom and Harry had nothing to do with the crime and Lyria stating they were guilty. Finally he said, "I want to speak to my crewmen."

Lyria stared at him showing he thought he had the upper hand. "Communication with inmates is not permitted."

Two ships came out of nowhere and aimed at the Voyager. Finally B'Elanna came out of nowhere, "We have to open fire. We have to get them out of there."

"Violence is not going to get Tom and Harry back. Helm move us away maximum warp."

"Aye sir."

Chakotay rubbed his hand over his face. "If you need me I'll be in sickbay."

[SICKBAY]

Chakotay walked in an saw the Doctor standing over Kathryn scanning her. "Doctor it has been almost a month. How long are you going to keep her in a coma? Are she and the baby okay?"

The Doctor sighed a very real action for a hologram. "She appears to be okay and the baby has been growing at a normal rate. This will be a huge shock when I wake her."

Chakotay sighed, "I know but it has to be done and the longer we leave her in this coma state the worse it's going to be when she wakes up. If she's out of danger I suggest we wake her tonight."

The Doctor looked at Chakotay, "12 hours then if you come back at 0700 tomorrow morning I'll wake her from the coma."

Chakotay nodded and left sickbay. He had 12 hours to get Tom and Harry back.

[BRIDGE]

Chakotay walked onto the bridge. "Commander. We're being hailed by the Akritirians."

Chakotay turned to B'Elanna. "Put him on screen."

The view screen lit up and Chakotay saw the Ambassador. He began making threats almost immediately. "Unless you've decided to relinquish control of your vessel, Commander, I suggest that you do not proceed across our border. "

Chakotay drew in a deep breath, "We've captured the ship and crew responsible for the bombing at the Laktivia canteen."

"I see."

Chakotay stared at him, "I'm prepared to trade them for the immediate and unconditional release of Lieutenant Paris and Ensign Kim."

"Your crewmen have already been tried and convicted."

Chakotay stared at the man on the screen, "Are you saying those convictions can't be reversed? No matter what new evidence is brought to light?"

"You are correct."

Chakotay stared at him, "That is an outrageous policy."

"I assure you, it has proven to be a most effective deterrent. Good day, Commander."

Chakotay stared at Tuvok, "So much for negotiating."

"What should we do with the prisoners?"

"Bring them to my office."

[CHAKOTAY'S OFFICE]

Chakotay stared at the kids. That's what they were kids, when his child was born he hoped he never had to deal with issues like this. "I want the location and shield codes of the maximum security detention facility."

"Vel sneered at the Commander, "What's wrong? The Akritirians didn't agree to your terms?"

"No; as a matter of fact; but I suspect you will."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Chakotay was reaching his wits end but kept his cool, "Because if you don't, you and your sister are going to spend the rest of your lives in prison."

Vel stared at his sister and then reconsidered his options. "I'll take you to the prison. And I'll get you in. But there are members of Open Sky in there and I want to get them out too."

That was it; he had to make this work. He couldn't let his wife wake up after a month and find herself minus two crewmembers because of her husband's incompetence. "I don't think you understand the way this works. You tell me what I want to know, and after I get my people back, I let you and your sister go."

"That's not good enough."

He had his ace in the hole, this was it. He wouldn't let his sister go to jail; and Chakotay totally understood the sentiment. "Tuvok, inform the Akritirians that we're ready to turn the prisoners over."

The child probably no more than eighteen, finally broke. "All right."

Chakotay inwardly smiled and watched as Tuvok dutifully performed his job as security chief. "Crewman Foster, take the prisoner to the security officer. He will upload the coordinates and codes."

Chakotay explained to Tuvok what his plans were. How they were going to take Neelix's craft because it bore no semblance or markings of Voyager to rescue Tom and Harry.

"Tuvok, please do me a favor?"

Tuvok stared at him strangely silently asking him to continue.

"Make sure Kathryn is okay while I'm gone, and if something happens to me… don't let her use that as an excuse not to have the baby or not to have a life."

Tuvok nodded and Chakotay knew that he was leaving his wife in good hands should something happen to him.

Two hours later he had managed to save the crewmembers and make it back in time to hopefully see Kathryn awakened from the induced coma state.

He had asked the Doctor to make sure that Kathryn was in the back area out of prying eyes.

Tom had been required to be healed after the rescue. Chakotay had been worried about Kathryn the whole time he had been on the rescue mission.

He had managed to come and visit Kathryn at least once a day and had seen her belly beginning to really show the signs of pregnancy. He touched his daughter, he talked to his wife.

Today was the day when his wife would come back to him and the Voyager would get their Captain back. No one save Tom and B'Elanna knew that Kathryn was pregnant. This would be a surprise for everyone.

Chakotay sighed, there were 20 minutes left before he had to be in sickbay.

He needed everything to be okay.

[SICKBAY]

Chakotay walked into sickbay and looked around for the Doctor.

Tom was fine and so was Harry and both were long gone.

"Doctor."

The Doctor popped his head out of the room where Kathryn had been held for the past little while. The crew knew that Kathryn had been hurt, no one really knew the whole story.

Chakotay had managed to keep the ship going and keep the crew safe, but he was not Kathryn.

The Doctor stared at Chakotay. "You ready for this Commander?"

"As ready as I'll ever be Doctor. I just need her back."

The Doctor sighed, "I know Commander but she has been out for a month this is going to be a huge shock for her."

Chakotay nodded and went to sit at her bedside. "At least I'll be here for her."

"Yes, yes you will Commander."

He walked up to Kathryn's bed with the hypo-spray. "You ready Commander?"

Chakotay nodded and took Kathryn's hand. The Doctor injected the hypo-spray and waited for Kathryn's blue eyes to look at him.

Slowly her eyes opened, "Chakotay?"

The hand that Chakotay wasn't holding went down to her belly and she drew in a deep breath of surprise at the proof that the baby was safe and sound. "How long?"

Chakotay drew in a deep breath, "Almost a month."

"That makes me almost four months gone now."

Chakotay nodded and held the Captain's hand a little closer. "I don't care if that child is mine or a future mine's baby, as far as I'm concerned… that baby is ours."

Kathryn had tears in her eyes, "Our child. We're married and this will be the beginning of a beautiful life."

Chakotay nodded and drew her into a hug. He felt movement below.

He looked into her eyes. "Did our baby just move?"

Kathryn had tears in her eyes as she nodded. "Our baby just moved and now that I'm awake… Speaking of which, why was I in a coma for a month?"

The Doctor came in to save Chakotay. "I forced you into a coma if you wanted that baby to survive; and you needed the rest. You were over-tired, over-stressed and three months pregnant. When you came into sickbay your stress levels were so high it took both Mr. Paris and I and four hours of surgery to keep this pregnancy viable.

Kathryn's hands fell to her belly. "She's okay right?"

The Doctor stared at Kathryn and then at Chakotay, "You have to be careful. This baby is still fragile and still needs you to rest and to take care of yourself."

She glared at the Doctor, "I haven't been on the bridge for a month now: That's where I need to be."

The Doctor stared at her, "I'm not making a request, and if you make me make this an order I will. No bridge duty for two weeks. The crew has managed to get by without you for this month and they will continue to do so for two more weeks."

Chakotay walked up to his wife. "Just let us all take care of you for a little while longer. The crew and the bridge will be fine."

Kathryn backed down, "Can we go to our quarters Doctor?"

The Doctor nodded and motioned for his Commander and Captain to make their way to their quarters.

Chakotay led Janeway to their quarters. He had brought a uniform for her so she could look 'normal' if the crew saw her.

Kathryn entered her codes and they went into their quarters. As soon as the door closed she turned to Chakotay. "What happened?"

He looked at her, "What happened during that month? What happened that brought us to the point where you had to be put in a coma? You have to be more specific."

"When I had that pain in our quarters… I don't remember anything after that. I must have blacked out."

"You did. I have never heard you scream like that before. This baby means more to you then you let on and so do I."

Kathryn let a tear fall down her face and Chakotay stared at her with sadness in his eyes. "Fine you want me to admit I'm weak? You want me to admit that I love you and this baby more than I care to admit? I do. I love you and I love this child."

"Two weeks Kathryn you need that time to rest before you go back on duty."

Kathryn pursed her lips and nodded. She looked around her quarters. "What happened to my quarters?"

Chakotay smiled, "While you were out I had B'Elanna and an engineering crew combine our two quarters. There is now another room that I assume will be our daughter's room when she comes."

Kathryn felt the tears flowing down her cheeks. "You did this for me while I was in a coma? What did you tell the engineering crew? They don't know I'm pregnant?"

"I told them that we needed the extra room for my office since you already had one for yours."

Kathryn thought about the way he thought about her needs first. No one was aware yet that she was pregnant and he wanted to keep it that way until she decided it was time to tell – or until she started to show and everyone would know anyway.

She went to their room and put on her night clothes. She turned sideways and saw the small bump of the baby showing already. She put on a long night shirt and then went out to see Chakotay again.

Chakotay was staring at the room that he had begun to decorate. She saw his back he was facing away. She went up behind him and hugged him from the back so that he could feel the baby in her front and against his back.

He went to turn around to give her a kiss when he felt the ship shake.

Kathryn out of habit moved towards the door and then looked at her state of undress and Chakotay making his way to the door. "I'll keep you informed of what is going on. Just stay here and keep yourself and our baby safe."

Kathryn nodded and watched her husband leave their quarters.

As much as she wanted this baby she couldn't wait for the pregnancy to be over.

END PART 3

TBC IN PART 4


	4. Chapter 4

The Guardian, Part 4  
by: AW

Date: November 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 2,121 words

The ship had started shaking and they hadn't realized what kind of an enemy they were dealing with. Chakotay had been watching what was happening and there were problems. He hadn't yet spoken to Kathryn she really didn't need that kind of stress right now.

He had ended up sending Tom and B'Elanna out to check on some intermittent readings hoping that that would give some explanations as to what was going on.

That might give the couple some time to speak and to talk about the many things that were going on with not only them but also – he knew they were talking – with Kathryn and him.

Chakotay sighed and hoped there would be some answers given here.

[SHUTTLECRAFT]

Helmsman's log, stardate 50252.3. While Voyager takes on supplies, Lieutenant Torres and I are investigating some intermittent sensor readings we picked up this morning.

B'Elanna stared at Tom. "We're good right?"

Tom listened to her. "Better than Kathryn and Chakotay at the moment. This is killing her to be locked away for a week."

"Yes but it's necessary. When she comes back on the bridge she's going to be showing there is no question about that. I spoke to Chakotay and he said she's crawling the walls not being able to be on the on the bridge. He also told me that those size four uniforms aren't fitting her too well anymore. Our Captain is going to have to make some changes to the way she is if this baby is going to come in good health."

"Okay enough about those two. We've been out here almost 5 hours and we haven't seen any sign of those energy signatures. Isn't it time to admit they were nothing more than galactic background noise?"

Paris looked at her. "I want to keep looking a while longer, just to be sure."

She glared at him. Then all of a sudden she let out a screech. "Ah!"

"What's wrong?"

She pulled her legs up, "Cramp. Klingon bodies weren't meant to sit in a cockpit for five hours at a stretch."

The shuttle shook and Tom and B'Elanna looked at each other. B'Elanna started scanning the area. Tom looked at the readings she'd taken. "We must have crossed into a tachyon field."

B'Elanna began looking over the readings they were taking and pointed at a specific analysis they'd taken. "What's that?"

"A ship has locked onto our hull."

"Why didn't we detect it?"

He stared at his fiancée. "The tachyon field must have disrupted our sensors. I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris."

Both were surprised by two aliens that transported onto the shuttle right through the shields. They began speaking in a language that was not understood by the universal translators and then shot the two crewmen.

[HOLODECK – PARISIAN CAFÉ, 1830'S]

The Doctor had finally been given time to explore himself. Things he wanted to do as a 'person', so he had decided to try opera.

"O soave fanciulla, O dolce viso di mite circonfuso alba lunar, in te ravviso il sogno ch'io vorrei sempre sognar!"

The woman sang, as his partner. "Ah, tu sol comandi, amor –"

The Doctor turned, perturbed to the Diva, "Computer, pause playback. Excuse me but your entrance was early. You're rushing the tempo."

"I am not rushing, you are lagging behind like a tired donkey."

"I assure you I have studied the finest recordings of this opera. Caruso and Galli-Curci, Pavarotti and Freni, Sural and T'Pena of Vulcan. My tempo is accurate."

They fought, he was annoyed. This woman was infuriating and yet he had programmed her based on all the finest operettas.

He began looking and stopped short, confused. "I couldn't remember the words."

"In all of my career I have never forgotten the lyrics. This is the difference between amateur and professionale."

They fought he was sure that this woman was not like the singers of the past. They could not have been that frustrating.

All of a sudden there was a comm. call, the Commander.

"Chakotay to the Doctor. We have a medical emergency. Report to sickbay."

"Right away, Commander. A dio, madam. Next time I'll take my chances with Maria Callas. Computer, delete the diva."

"Imbecille. Pensale la men… "

[SICKBAY]

The Doctor rushed in and saw Tom and B'Elanna there. He walked up to Tom. "Their nervous system suffered trauma from some type of neuro-electric weapon. It must have been extremely painful."

Torres piped up, "It certainly was."

Kathryn had been in sickbay for a checkup when the crewmembers had been beamed in. "Do you know why they attacked you?"

Torres turned to her Captain. It was good to see her on her feet again. "No idea. They seemed to be trying to communicate with us but we couldn't understand them and then they just lifted their weapons."

Kathryn turned to B'Elanna, "I need to do something for the crew."

"Aren't you supposed to be off duty for another three days?"

Kathryn laughed and got close to B'Elanna. "I'm the Captain I'm never off duty."

B'Elanna raised an eyebrow. "You have to be for the next few days." She paused and looked at her Captain and friend. "You're starting to show you know."

Kathryn tried to smooth her loose shirt over the bump. "I'll have to tell the crew soon before the rumours really start flying.

Torres nodded and walked towards Tom's bed.

The Doctor began, "The injuries are treatable. It shouldn't take long."

Chakotay walked into sick bay. "How's our daughter doing?"

"As good as can be expected considering what she's been through already." She turned to Tuvok. "Tuvok, send a message on all subspace bands. I want to find out why my people were attacked."

"Aye Captain. "

Chakotay approached his wife. "You're supposed to be off duty and taking it easy."

Chakotay stared at Tuvok and then at his wife, "I'll ask Neelix if he knows anything about these people. Doctor, keep me posted."

The Doctor stared at B'Elanna berating her, "It would help if you didn't fidget so much."

"I'm really feeling better. Can't I get out of here?"

"When you're ready to leave I will tell you."

Kes got into the conversation, "Doctor, Tom doesn't seem to be responding to the treatment."

"I'll look at him. Where's my retinal imager?"

"I haven't seen it."

The Doctor looked confused, "Did you move it from the instrument tray?"

"I haven't been near the instrument tray."

The Doctor shook his head, "I've just had the most unpleasant encounter with a mad woman on the holodeck. She must have upset me more than I realised." He turned to B'Elanna, "Lieutenant, you're perfectly all right. What are you still doing here?"

"Thank you."

Kes stared at the Doctor and then at Tom, "I think he must have suffered some very deep tissue damage. The regenerator isn't helping. Doctor?"

[BRIEFING ROOM]

Tuvok looked to the Commander, "I've made numerous hails on wideband subspace. The only response has been a single repeating message."

Tom stared at Tuvok as he played the message over and over again, "What's that?"

Chakotay stared at the crew, "I'd guess it's a language so unlike ours that the universal translator can't interpret it. Harry, remodulate the translator, see if we can decipher those sounds. Neelix, what can you tell us?"

Neelix answered, "If these people are who I think they are, I can tell you this is very bad news. I've never actually encountered them but from what I've heard I'm glad I didn't. Most ships that enter their space are never heard from again. Some have returned with everyone on board dead. They're a complete mystery. No one knows their name, how many of them there are, what the culture is like. Just that they really don't want people violating their territory."

Harry contemplated this, "If this is any indication of their borders, it's a huge area of space, hundreds of sectors. If we were to go around it: It would take months."

"I'd say over fifteen months even if we could sustain maximum warp, which we can't."

"Kathryn would be more than a little upset if I told this crew we're adding another fifteen months to this journey. We'll have to find another option."

"If we are not to go around their space the only available option is to go through it."

All of a sudden the conversation in the briefing room was shattered by the Doctor's hail. "Sickbay to Commander Chakotay."

"Go ahead, Doctor."

"Please turn to your emergency medical holographic channel." Chakotay turned on the monitor and stared at the Doctor. "I'm afraid Lieutenant Paris suffered greater neurological damage than my initial scan revealed. I'm going to have to perform a motor cortex reconstruction. There's no need to be overly concerned. His condition is not life-threatening. The procedure is a relatively simple one for a skilled physician."

"Very good, Doctor. Keep me informed."

He stared around the bridge at what was left of the senior staff. "All right, I want a plan for crossing that border as quickly and as quietly as possible. We'll reconvene in an hour. Dismissed."

[SICKBAY]

The Doctor and Kes worked to get Tom all patched up. Kes was concerned. The Doctor was losing his memories.

They needed him and Kes was aware that she and Tom weren't going to cut it as the medical team for the Voyager crew for the rest of the journey.

She called Lieutenant Torres down to sickbay to deal with the problem.

The Captain had also come; when she had informed Commander Chakotay that this was something that wasn't stressful and would keep the Captain's mind off the fact that she was not allowed on the bridge he agreed that it was a good compromise.

The Captain was also a skilled engineer and scientist, so she would be a welcome asset.

"The EMH database seems to be experiencing a cascading overload of some kind. Doc's memory circuits are deteriorating."

Kathryn sighed, "We knew the Doctor was never designed to be up and running as much as he has been, but I thought you programmed safety buffers so his circuits wouldn't degrade?"

"I did, and I installed them, but they're breaking down."

The Doctor piped up, "My self-diagnostic routines have always indicated that in the event of cascade failure I should simply be re-initialised."

"That would stop the cascade and allow us to reset your database and personality sub-routines, but –" Torres hesitated and stared at the Captain and then at Kes.

"But what?"

"It would restore the original program. Reset him to the person he was when we first activated him."

Kes looked at the group. "B'Elanna will find a way."

Kathryn stared at the only Doctor on board and at the woman who had become her best friend as a hand laid against her stomach and she hoped the Doctor would be okay.

She turned and left sickbay and left the engineer to her work fixing their only Doctor.

B'Elanna worked endlessly to try and fix the Doctor. Finally she threw their hands up in frustration. "We have to get a second opinion. We have been working for hours trying to get the Doctor working and nothing has worked."

[CORRIDOR OUTSIDE HOLODECK 2]

B'Elanna stared at the controls. This had to work. She had fix the Doctor for the sake of the 'Command Couple'. "Computer. Initiate Jupiter Station diagnostic programme alpha one one."

She heard the computer answer. "The program is activated."

Torres watched as Jupiter Station materialized in front of her. "Computer, transfer the programme for the Emergency Medical Hologram to Holodeck two."

The Doctor materialized before her. "I seem to remember this place."

"You should. This is Jupiter Station where you were created and where your database was written. "

"It seems so long ago."

She stared at the panel before her. Torres typed in something trying to get the program to start up. "I'm going to have to play with the systems for a few minutes. I'm not exactly sure how to access all the subroutines."

The hologram of Doctor Zimmerman from the Jupiter Station spun around and yelled, "Don't touch that!"

B'Elanns stared at the man who looked so much like their Doctor. "Who are you?"

"I'm a holographic recreation of Doctor Louis Zimmerman, the creator of the Emergency Medical Hologram."

She stared at the hologram surprised, "You're the diagnostic matrix."

"You might say that. Something wrong with your EMH?"

"Yes."

The banter went on between the two of them for a few minutes and finally the program began diagnosing the EMH.

He stared at B'Elanna, "No wonder the program is destabilizing look at all the extraneous subroutines."

Torres stared at him, "I put in failsafes so there would be no degradation."

"Apparently not enough. The only way to get this EMH back to where he is functional is to reboot the program."

Torres was not sure she wanted to do that. She wasn't sure that the Doctor wanted that either it would bring him back to what he was originally. Two years of improvements gone.

She got a hail asking her to report to the bridge. She answered. "Be right there sir."

She turned to the Doctor. "I'll hurry, I promise."

[Bridge]

Tom stared at Chakotay looking unsure, "We're holding position five hundred thousand kilometres from the border. I'm ready to go as soon as you give the word, Commander."

Chakotay stared at the ensign, "All set Harry?"

"I'm ready whenever Lieutenant Torres is."

"Bridge to Engineering."

Chakotay heard a hesitation on the line. "Torres here."

"B'Elanna, are you ready to reconfigure the shields?"

"Ready."

[BRIDGE]

Tuvok answered, "Commander, long range sensors show a large vessel 5 light years from our current position."

They bantered for a while, realizing that it was many vessels creating a huge sensor net.

They decided they were going to ram the sensor net and try to get across. Chakotay agreed finally and hoped that Kathryn would be okay with the decision and would have made the same choice under these circumstances.

Finally Chakotay had managed to get the ship through the sensor net safe and sound. He breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Now to only issue was the EMH.

[HOLODECK 2]

The Doctor stared exasperated at Kes and the program. "I fail to understand why I can't leave this room. Stand aside, young woman, or I will have you put on report!"

Kes smiled at the Doc, "Doctor, please, I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Others can leave, you can leave. Why can't I leave?"

"Because your holoprojectors don't work in the corridor."

"My what?"

Kes and the Doctor argued for a while. Her trying to convince him that he was nothing more than a hologram him disbelieving.

Finally he questioned her friendship for the simple reason that she wouldn't call him by his name.

She let out a nervous laught, "That's because you don't have one!"

[BRIDGE]

Finally it was done they had escaped the swarm: the bridge seemed to give a sigh of relief.

Chakotay knew that in Sickbay the Doctor was attempting to realize himself yet again. He needed the Doctor to be okay for his Kathryn if nothing else.

[SICKBAY]

Kes and B'Elanna stared at the spot where she knew the Doctor would eventually rematerialize.

Kes looked nervously to B'Elanna, "It seems to be taking forever."

"That's to be expected. It's a complex procedure."

"Doctor Zimmerman said he didn't know if our Doctor would be restored to his programming or he'd regain the memories of the past two years."

"I think at this point we'd be glad to have him back no matter what." And so will the Captain and Commander she thought.

Eventually the computer answered. The graph was complete. "Zimmerman programme alpha one is now complete."

Kes paused and finally voiced the words that would tell them if they were getting their Doctor back. "Computer, activate Emergency Medical Holographic Program."

The Doctor appeared, "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

Kes smiled, "It worked! Doctor, I am so glad to see you."

"Are you ill, young woman?"

"No. No, there's no emergency. I, er, I just wanted to see if you were all right."

"It is very irresponsible to make such frivolous use of the EMH. Where's your Chief Medical Officer?"

An expression of dismay ghosted across her feature, "We don't have one."

B'Elanna jumped in, "Actually I have an awful headache."

"A headache. Nurse, tricorder." Kes handed him the tricorder and the Doctor stared at her surprised, "You're the nurse?"

"In a way."

"This woman has a mild inflammation of the occipital tissues. Hardly enough to complain about but I'm willing to give you a mild analgesic."

"Thank you."

"Get me the vassal constrictor and prepare a hypo-spray with three percent hydrocortaline."

Kes stared at the Doctor, "Yes sir."

The Doctor starts humming then continues the song. "il sogno ch'io vorrei sempre sognar! "

Kes smiled, everything would be okay.

[JANEWAY QUARTERS]

Chakotay walked into their quarters. The long day was finally over.

He walked into the bedroom, and saw that Kathryn was sleeping peacefully in the bed. She had trusted him with the crew and she had finally given up to the tiredness and allowed herself to fall into a peaceful sleep.

Two more weeks and she would be allowed back on the bridge.

Back in her seat and back where she belonged.

END PART 4

TBC IN PART 5


	5. Chapter 5

The Guardian, Part 5  
by: AW

Date: November 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 2,121 words

[THREE WEEKS AFTER PART 4]

Kathryn sat on the bridge. Her shift was almost over and Chakotay would be coming to relieve her. Ever since the pregnancy had really become obvious the duty schedule had changed so that Chakotay and Kathryn were working opposite shifts.

Kathryn worked alpha shift and waited until Chakotay relived her for the beginning of beta shift. Tuvok and Harry would split Gamma shift and whoever was not working gamma shift that night would end up sharing the responsibility of alpha shift with Kathryn.

It had worked out pretty well, but Kathryn was ready to go back to her quarters for the night. The pregnancy was taking it out of her more than she liked to admit.

All of a sudden she understood why command officers were taking off duty when they were expecting.

Chakotay walked onto the bridge. "Captain; ready to get out of here?"

Kathryn nodded, "Not a moment too soon. This baby is really taking it out of me."

Chakotay grinned, "It will be over quicker than you know."

Kathryn nodded. "Not a moment too soon." She stared at her husband. "You have the bridge Commander."

Kathryn put a hand on her belly and got up from the command chair. She got into the turbolift. "Deck two."

She approached their quarters and entered the command code and entered.

She felt the air around her change and called the computer to change the ambient temperature it was awful hot in the room and she headed for the bathroom: She needed a bath to relax her before she went to bed.

She went to enter their bathroom and just about ran into Chakotay; but it wasn't her Chakotay.

She stared at the stranger in front of her.

His hair was longer and the black perfection was mottled with streaks of grey.

Her jaw dropped open and she stared wide-eyed into the face of the man she loved but it wasn't him. There was a hardness to his eyes and a mistrust she hadn't seen there since he had come aboard as the leader of the Maquis. "Kathryn?"

She stared at the man in front of her and realized all of a sudden that the years had been tacked onto him and he wore the pips of a Captain not a Commander. "Chakotay? What happened? I thought you were on the bridge."

He stared at the long flowing auburn hair that she had just pulled the pins out of. "You're not the Kathryn Janeway from this universe."

A statement more than a question and Kathryn realized it was true. "What year is it?"

"You're dead." He stared at her again with mistrust, "2386."

Kathryn let her hands cover her face. Her brain began working and a voice inside her head stated that it was always a possibility.

He looked a little closer at her, "You're pregnant."

In this universe things obviously hadn't gone as they had in hers.

She nodded silently. "And it's yours."

He shook his head, "Not mine - we never were an item especially when I demoted you and changed you to a science officer."

"New Earth?"

"What are you talking about?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "Weren't we ever stuck on a planet together for three months – just you and me?"

He shook his head. "I don't know who you are or what kind of game you're playing but that is not my child, and we were never an item."

Kathryn felt the tears welling in her eyes. "Take me to the Doctor if you wish and have it checked out but in my world we are married and this is your child I'm carrying: It's stardate 50205."

Chakotay shook his head. "I always wondered what it would be like to enter Kathryn's cavern." He pulled her arms above her head and began tearing at her uniform.

Soon she was standing in front of him in nothing but her bra and underwear. His teeth pulling at the front clasp of her white lacy bra.

Kathryn finally lost control and let the tears stream down her face.

He stared at the tears rolling down the face of the woman in front of him and continued his ministrations. "Don't you like it rough?"

Kathryn quietly shook her head and kept reminding herself that this wasn't her husband; this wasn't the man that she loved.

He continue pulled off her bra and underwear until she was naked in front of him. His eyes grew wide with lust as he began sucking at her breasts.

The sudden contact along with the sensitiveness of her breasts from the pregnancy made her gasp in surprise.

The tears continued down her face as she realized that he was going to take her whether she wanted him to or not.

He pulled down her underwear and he stared at the bareness beneath. "You like it bare do you? So do I."

He stood up to his full height almost a foot taller than her and positioned himself in front of her his member straining towards her. He stopped for a moment and brushed his hand over the baby feeling a kick and changing his mind dove deep within her cavern.

She screamed out not in pleasure but in pain at the intrusion that the assault caused.

"Like that do you? I knew you'd like it rough, you're a wild one."

He continued until he was done and spilled his seed into her. He slowly picked up the tatters of her clothes. "Put these on, we're going to see how good a liar you really are."

"Chakotay to transporter room 2: 2 to beam to sickbay."

Kathryn felt the weightlessness of the transporter take her and she rematerialized in sickbay.

The Doctor rushed up to the couple, "Oh my."

Chakotay watched the Doctor scan Kathryn. "She's about five months along but there is a time differential this isn't our Kathryn Janeway. This baby is your daughter though from a different time and place."

Chakotay stared at her, "A girl. She wouldn't have been worth much on this ship or in this reality anyway."

Kathryn let her head fall to her hands. "How can you say that?"

"Kathryn my dear since the day we came to the Delta Quadrant we started by meeting the Kazon: just the first in a long line of male-oriented, misogynistic societies. By getting you out of the Captain's chair and putting me there instead we multiplied our chances of survival." He stared at her pregnant belly, "You are now doing the one thing that you're meant to do and that men can't do."

Kathryn protectively placed her hand over her daughter and wished for her Chakotay not for the first time since she had ended up here.

She looked at that Chakotay. "You're taking the women's rights movement that was started in the 20th century back 400 years; and all because it was easier on you?"

He laughed sardonically "No because it saved our crew."

Kathryn stared at him, "Our crew? Didn't you demote me and then allow me to get assimilated by the Borg?"

He stared at her, "How did you know that that was how you died?"

She laughed, "If you wanted to keep it a secret you shouldn't have let the Doctor blab with me in the examination room."

They both quietly stared at each other. Finally Chakotay broke the tense silence. "You are nothing like the woman that was our 'Kathryn Janeway'."

She turned away from him, "Can I go back to your quarters now?"

Chakotay looked surprised at her. Then thought back to the fact that she had appeared in his quarters and knew that this woman, that was smarter and stronger than the woman he had known as Kathryn Janeway was looking for a way out and back to her reality. "Why?"

Kathryn felt her face going red before she looked up at him through eyes as blue as the ocean. "If I'm going to be stuck here I may as well have you as the father of my child."

He accepted her answer and called for transport. "Two to beam to the Captain's quarters."

"Aye sir." Kathryn felt her body become weightless and once again ended up in the Captain's quarters: The quarters that were hers on her ship.

She looked at Chakotay as he pulled a box out from behind his back. She looked at him as if to say are you kidding me. She opened the box and discovered at negligee and she rolled her eyes internally, did he really expect her to wear that.

There was an empire waist so he did take her pregnancy into consideration, but this was not her Chakotay.

She sighed and excused herself to go get changed. She put it on and heard the guardian call her. *All you have to do is leave the same way you came and you'll be back home again.*

Dressed in her nighty she exited the quarters and she was once again on her Voyager. "How can I get in our quarters if there isn't a portal there?"

*The portal changes places as you move away from where it was before. It is gone now and has been replaced closer to you.*

Kathryn walked through the door to her quarters and waited for her Chakotay to be done Beta shift. She was not disappointed as twenty minutes later he came breezing through the door and saw her state of dress. "Well this is a nice surprise."

Kathryn shook her head as she stared at him through haunted eyes. "The Guardian took me somewhere I never want to be again. He showed me a Voyager where what we were scared of in the beginning, betrayal, mutiny, fear of the unknown on the crew were all a reality."

Chakotay sat back and watched his wife. She had told him of the Guardian of Forever and what had happened before on Hanon - of the possibility that in the beginning this wasn't his child – of course that was proven wrong and he had forgiven her indiscretion but he had never seen it bother her so. "Hey tell me everything that happened."

She had tears streaming down her cheeks. "We both need our sleep."

Chakotay wasn't letting it go that easy. "You are my wife, the love of my life, you are carrying my child, you can tell me and we can make it all better."

Kathryn shook her head. "It was so awful. You had demoted me, taken control of my ship: mutinied, I had nothing on that ship in that reality. The mistrust he had in me and the idea that I was carrying his child disgusted him." She drew in a deep breath, "He raped me Chakotay, he took what I freely give to you – but he wasn't you – he was a nightmare. When will this stop happening to me. I have seen so many futures. Ones where I am dead, ones where I am alive but we are not an item, ones where you are not the man you are today. When will it stop?"

Chakotay took her face and stared it up towards him. "He raped you? Do I need to take you to sickbay? The baby?"

God how she had missed this caring, loving Chakotay. "I think I'm okay and the baby should be fine."

Chakotay shook his head. "Let's get you to sickbay to make sure."

She nodded, "We should get me changed first."

Chakotay looked at her state of dress and nodded. He got her casual pants and a shirt and ran his hands over her ever changing body. He escorted her to sickbay. "I think our daughter will be fine, but I may need some fixing up in certain places."

"Daughter?"

"They checked her in the other reality, said she was perfectly healthy but they had no use for women there. They had changed Voyager into a male dominated society and he told me that I was doing the only thing that women were good for – breeding - but since the baby was a girl she was useless to him except as a brood mare."

He stared at the broken and torn woman before him. "I would never say such a thing or treat you like that."

Kathryn nodded, "I know and I trust you, but to think that in another reality you could be someone so different."

Chakotay stared at Kathryn, "If I hadn't , met you; if you hadn't saved me I could have been someone else in this reality."

END PART 5

TBC IN PART 6


	6. Chapter 6

The Guardian, Part 6  
by: AW

Date: November 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 1,710 words

[TWO WEEKS AFTER PART 5]

It has been two weeks since that day that she had been transferred to yet another Voyager. She was sick of seeing the good and the bad.

Of bringing happiness to some while she brought pain and anguish to others.

She sighed and hoped that this would end soon. That she wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

The Guardian might have other reasons: She was hoping this was over.

Her shift was ending soon. She turned to Tom at the helm. She needed to go to her ready room and take some weight off her ankles.

"Tuvok you have the bridge. I'll be in my ready room."

Tuvok nodded and watched Kathryn walk through the doors.

Kathryn watched the doors open and found herself back on the bridge. The bridge was cold and she saw the bodies of her crew scattered around frozen in time.

Her jaw dropped and she saw the carnage. Then her feet led her to her own body encased in snow and ice and frozen in time.

She walked up to the image her hand gracing the former Captain's cheek.

Suddenly the sound of the turbo-lift doors being pried open forced her to spin around in surprise.

She stared at Chakotay and Harry walking onto the bridge and draw in a breath of surprise. "Kathryn?"

Janeway wrapped her arms around her body trying to keep out the cold that was encompassing her body.

She drew in a deep breath. "Chakotay, Harry?"

Chakotay shook his head. "You're dead. You can't be standing in front of me." He stared at her distended abdomen. "You're pregnant."

She nodded and stared at him. "And it's yours."

He shook his head, "We never…"

Kathryn sighed, "Not in your time…obviously" She stated pointing at the frozen woman on the floor in front of her.

He stared at her clear blue eyes, "I loved you. I still love you. I'm coming back to change history so we can have what you have."

She had tears in her eyes as she nodded.

She heard the Guardian in her mind. *It could be worse. You were drawn to him in every reality.*

She followed Chakotay to the turbo-lift and walked through the doors only to end up back on her Voyager.

She felt tears welling in her eyes, and wiped them away with her hands.

She slowly made her way back to her quarters on her Voyager. She walked in and saw Chakotay there realizing they both had the day off.

She raced into his arms. "It was awful. I saw myself dead. I was frozen in time and so was everyone else aside from you and Harry."

She let the tears soak his shirt, "When will it stop?" She stared at him with blue eyes clear and windows to the soul. "I have visited times when we were together: when we weren't. It was wrong. I felt so helpless."

He brought her in as close as he could and he felt her tears subside. "I love you in any time Kathryn: Know that."

She sniffled and nodded. "I need to know when this will stop. I need to know when there will be just you and me and a baby on the way."

He moved the hair gently away from her face and kissed her on the cheek. "It will always be you and me and the baby."

She smiled that crooked half smile that he loved so much and nodded.

He loved this woman so much. "I don't know why this is happening to you Kathryn; all I know is that we will be together forever and I love you."

She nodded again and pulled him towards the bedroom.

He raised an eyebrow, "Well what do you have in mind?"

She smiled a shy smile and batted her eyelashes like the wings of a butterfly on a warm spring day. "Well you'll just have to see won't you? I reserved the holodeck last week, and it is officially the day I reserved it for. So meet me there in an hour."

Chakotay left the quarters and turned to Kathryn, "I'm going to go to the mess hall and grab something for us to eat on our little adventure."

Kathryn nodded and closed the door.

The quiet of their quarters engulfed her and she felt the tears coming to her eyes. *I won't cry now.* She thought.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and went to the replicator and replicated a sexy outfit to show to Chakotay when they would meet in an hour.

She pulled the loose green silk tank top over her head and pulled the netted skirt on showing the length of her legs and allowing her bosom to show just the faintest and most tantalizing bit.

She knew when she entered the holodeck that Chakotay would appreciate the effort.

She placed the combadge over her left breast and tapped asking for sight to sight transport to holodeck 1.

She tapped the combadge and dematerialized only to reappear moments later in the holodeck.

Kathryn stared around and Chakotay was nowhere to be seen. He was not due in the holodeck for another thirty minutes and she stared at the beautiful surroundings that he has chosen.

She ran her hands over the red satin sheets that he had decided to cover the bed with.

She breathed in the smell of the rose petals he had adorned the sheets with.

She loved this man more than she could ever express or he would ever know.

She felt a stirring down below and put her hands over the five month pregnant belly.

She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked good enough: he would love her no matter what happened: No matter what she looked like.

She stared at the beautiful mirror that Chakotay had had placed in the holodeck program. It was a replica of the one she had described as hanging in her room at her mother's old farmhouse.

She pulled herself up straighter as she heard the doors to the holodeck open behind her and spun around to see Chakotay walking into the holodeck with a dozen roses to match the ones adorning the room.

He stared at her his eyes growing wide at the sight of his wife staring back at him eyes wide with desire.

She slowly walked up to him and reached her lips towards his.

The kiss quickly got more involved. His hands reached up towards her breasts and stared at her wanting nothing more than for them to join.

She unconsciously pushed his hands away not wanting him to feel her newly acquired growth.

He stared at her. "Kathryn, let me see you."

Kathryn shook her head, "I don't want you to see me like this."

Chakotay smiled at wiped the tears from her eyes. "What, pregnant with my child? And more lovely than I have ever seen you."

She pulled his hands into hers and pulled them towards her breasts. "These are the only good thing that have come out of this so far."

He smiled, "Oh we have a baby on the way too; that is more important than perfect breasts or a perfect body."

He stared at her, "I love you more than I ever thought I could."

She smiled that crooked smile he loved so much. "I love you too Chakotay. I'm just really uncomfortable with this right now."

"I know Kathryn but this is the most beautiful, gorgeous thing that anyone has ever done for me, and that makes you the most gorgeous, beautiful woman that I have ever seen."

She nodded and reached for his member. She bent down and allowed her mouth to engulf him as her back and forth movements brought him to a state of arousal that almost too late. "You have to stop Kathryn, I can't last."

She pulled back and stared at him. "Well we can continue other things."

She slowly pulled of the skirt and showed him her long legs, whose shapely pale perfect contrasted so beautifully against his bronze body.

She stared at his body beginning with his chest and slowly allowing her eyes to trail down to the ground.

"I hope our baby looks like you."

She laughed, "She won't because it's a boy."

He glared at her and picked her up and brought her to the bedroom.

He stared at her and walked up to her and placed his hands on her belly. She smiled at him and slowly lifted up her shirt over her head.

He looked at the lacy green bra matching the underwear that hung just below her belly.

He was amazed by the beauty that was his Captain and wife.

"I love you so much Kathryn."

She smiled, "I know and I love you my angry warrior, and our little warrior."

She smiled and placed her hand over his on her belly. "The crew knows, we have decided to have this baby – let's start acting like a couple in love."

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her lips. His hand touched her sensitive nipples and she groaned.

Her small hands went down to his boxers and stripped them from his body.

His penis sprung to attention and she slowly mounted him. His eyes rolled back in his head as he felt her warm sheath encompassing him.

He let go and she felt the flood of seed cover the inside of her cave.

When he was done she slowly dismounted him and rolled over on her back on the right side of the bed.

He stared at her Irish perfection beside him and smiled at how lucky he was.

"I love you so much."

She grinned and went to cover her nakedness with the green nightgown that she had brought to the holodeck for after the excitement that she knew she would have.

She smiled at him and slowly made her way to the bathroom. As she entered she felt the coldness encompass her and the fear filled her again because she knew what was coming next.

END PART 6

TBC IN PART 7


	7. Chapter 7

The Guardian, Part 7  
by: AW

Date: November 2016  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: words

END PART 7

Kathryn expected to see the bathroom that she knew was attached to the holodeck but when she finally gathered the courage to look around her what she saw was her ready room.

She glanced around the barren room and saw a picture of Mark displayed proudly beside her seating area.

This was the first time she had really traveled to her foreseeable past.

Captain Janeway was nowhere to be seen and she all of a sudden felt cold and naked and realized how she was dressed.

Her hair mussed and he sexy silk sleep wear adorning her figure.

She wiped her hands over her face wiping the tears from her eyes. She just needed this to stop.

She needed to feel like herself again.

She needed to feel whole and as long as she was driven to the past and the future with no rhyme or reason she wouldn't feel that way.

She heard the guardian's voice. *You have to make her see of in this timeline she won't know the happiness that you know.*

Kathryn spun around as she heard the doors to her ready room open.

Captain Janeway had a singular mission. She collapsed on the couch and let the tears fall.

She hadn't even seen Kathryn standing in the corner as she let the tears fall.

All of a sudden the Captain heart an intake of breath and her head popped up. She futilely trying to erase any remnant of water from her tears stained face and stared at the image of herself in the corner taking a quick surprised breath at the pregnant woman in front of her.

"Who are you?" She let out surprised by the fear in her voice at the view of herself pregnant in front of her.

Kathryn drew in a deep breath, "I'm you."

The Captain let out a tired laugh, "I beg your pardone?"

"I'm you in about a year's time."

She stared at her counterpart, "Why were you crying."

"If you were me you'd know."

Kathryn stared at the woman in front of her, the hair she had only worn her hair like that to the bridge a couple of times. "He'll be alrgitht."

The Captain shook her head, "I beg your pardon."

Kathryn let out a sardonic laugh, "Chakotay… he'll be fine. He's not really brain dead."

Janeway sighed, "If you ware me; Why are you here?"

Kathryn looked down at the floor and sniffled. "I didn't have a choice."

"Like you didn't have a choice about that baby?"

Kathryn stared at her. "What would make you say that?"

"Well if you're me a year from now that's not Mark's baby.''

Kathryn let her head fall to her chest, "No it's not Mark's baby."

The Captain was speechless. "Then who's –"

Kathryn cut her off, "The man you're crying over."

Kathryn stared at the Captain as she placed her hand over her belly. "That baby that you're carrying," she paused staring at her counterpart, "is not your future."

The Captain let her head fall to her hands. "The baby moved."

Kathryn stared at her, "Yes, but it won't survive. He'll die by the sixth month."

"But the Doctor – "

She sighed, "The Doctor can't do anything no matter how hard he tries."

The Captain stared at her, "You can't say that for sure."

The Captain slowly brought her hand down to feel the tiny bump. "The baby will be fine. He is the last tiny strand or Mark I have left."

Kathryn let a tiny smile mark her features – a sad smile, not of happiness but rather of acceptance. "I loved Mark too, but there is a time I had to let go. I let go of the baby – I let go of Mark too."

The Captain stared at Kathryn. "It took me a long time after I lost Justin to finally be able to let anyone in." She drew in a deep breath, "I lost Justin's daughter, now you're telling me I'm doing to lose Mark's son?" She let the tears fall down her cheeks, "Remember how long it took me to get over Justin's death and the loss of our baby? How can I deal with this loss too?"

Kathryn walked up to the Captain, and stared her in the eyes. She grabbed Kathryn's hand and put it on her six month pregnant belly. "You'll get over it."

Kathryn turned and walked toward the door to the ready room and felt the light-headedness as she felt herself enter 'her' life once again.

END PART 7

TBC IN PART 8


	8. Chapter 8

The Guardian, Part 8  
by: AW

Date: March 2017  
Pairing: J/C, P/T  
Rating: MA  
Length: 887 words

She felt herself get heavier as she walked into their quarters on her _Voyager_. She subconsciously ran a hand over her belly feeling much more than six months now.

"Tristan, Tristan come back here."

Kathryn's eyes grew wider as she watched Chakotay chase the squirmy two year old.

"Hello Kathryn, ready to do this again?"

Kathryn felt her eyes going wide as she saw the child finally give in and go to Chakotay. The child buried his head in Chakotay's chest as he giggled.

Kathryn stared at the child in Chakoty's arms. Blue eyes and blond hair. She realized that the warning she had given to her counterpart had ended up saving Mark's baby.

Her hand went to her lower back as she felt the muscles spasming underneath her hand.

Chakotay walked up to her, "Back still hurting?"

Kathryn silently nodded. "The Doctor told you he wouldn't let you go more than a week overdue. You have less than five days to wait unless Talie decides to come on her own."

Kathryn nodded and let Chakotay run his hands over her screaming back muscles. "I don't think anyone would have minded if you'd left the bridge shift early."

"Mommy? When is Talie coming out of your belly?"

Kathryn nearly laughed. "When she decides, but it won't be more than a week honey."

Tristan nodded his acceptance. "I think you should get ready for bed though baby."

Tristan nodded and walked towards one of the two bedrooms that it appears had been made out of Chakotay's old quarters.

She slowly felt the memories coming back to her. Almost losing Tristan, Chakotay being there the whole time.

How sad she has been when Tristan was born nearly two months early. She felt the tears come to her eyes and then felt the muscles in her back tighten then hold. She knew what this meant.

She tried to massage the tightness and the pain out of her back.

Chakotay walked back out to the living area. "Tristan is down for the night. How is our daughter doing?"

Kathryn laughed, "Kicking the hell out of me: She's restless."

He bent down and kissed her on the lips. "Crowded quarters in there Kathryn."

She smiled, "Don't I know it." She sucked in a quick breath as the pain caught and held again."

Chakotay brought his hands down to her back and felt the muscles tightening. "Your back is in knots Kathryn."

She nodded, "I know; but what do you expect I'm carrying around 30 extra pounds."

Chakotay nodded sympathetically. "I know but this will be over soon and then we'll have a beautiful baby girl to add to our family."

She smiled and nodded. "I'm going to go lay down for a bit. My back is killing me and I have a headache."

Chakotay nodded, "I'll see you in a bit, I'm going to have a beer with Tom."

Chakotay walked out of their quarters and headed for Sandrines.

[SANDRINES – TEN MINUTES LATER]

Chakotay walked into the holodeck and saw Tom hunched over a pool table. "You ready to have your ass taken Tom?"

Tom laughed, "Why you didn't bring your wife along?"

Chakotay shook his head. "No she isn't feeling well. She said her back was killing her and she had a headache."

Tom laughed, "What is she like two days late? I'm betting we're going to see a baby before end of day tomorrow."

Chakotay shook his head, "She'd tell me if she was in labour."

Tom stared at him, "You know how stubborn she is – remember Tristan?"

Chakotay remembered it well. It has been one of the scariest times of his life.

She had been on the bridge and her back had been killing her all day. They thought nothing of it, she was only seven months along. There was no way she could be in labour.

Then on the bridge, her water had broken.

And the pain and the fear in her face had scared the hell out of him.

He had never seen Kathryn more scared as when her first born's life had been in danger.

He had almost lost it when his son's life had been in danger.

Tom put a hand on Chakotay's shoulder. "Hey big man, what's up? Your mind seemed a million miles away."

Chakotay wiped his hand over his face. "I was just thinking about Kathryn. Remember when her water broke on the bridge with Tristan?"

Tom had a haunted look in his eyes, "Oh yeah I remember."

"I was so scared Tom."

"We all were Chakotay, we all were."

Chakotay shook his head, "I gotta go home Tom, I thought I could just go out for a beer and get rid of some of the stress, but –"

"I know Chakotay, I know. Go take care of our Captain."

"Thanks Tom."

Tom smiled at his friend, "Hopefully you'll be as understanding when B'Elanna goes into labour."

Chakotay smiled and turned around, "Congratulations Tom."

He laughed, "Just don't tell B'Elanna she wanted to be the one to tell you."

"Our secret, I promise."

With that Chakotay walked out of the holodeck and made his way home to his wife.

END PART 8

TBC IN PART 9


	9. Chapter 9

The Guardian, Part 9

by: AW

Date: June 2017

Pairing: J/C, P/T

Rating: MA

Length: words

Kathryn sighed. She had been lying down for a while, trying to get the cramping in her back to cease. *I know what this means.* She thought.

Finally she gave up on the pretence of rest and got up to go to the washroom.

She stood up and heard a screech come from Tristan's room.

She went to the little boy and pulled him into a hug full of comfort.

"It's okay honey. Bad dream?"

She felt the boy nod, and her back spasm'd and held. She sucked in a deep breath and held it as she comforted her child. "I think you should go and try to sleep and mommy has to talk with daddy."

The boy nodded and Kathryn left the room.

As she entered the hallway to the living room she felt the cramp tear around to her belly.

She drew in a deep breath and crouched down so that her legs wouldn't give out on her.

Her hands went up and felt the tight ball that was her belly.

When the contraction ended and she caught her breath, she tapped her combadge. "Janeway to Chakotay."

"Yes Kathryn?"

She drew in a deep breath, "When are you going to be home?"

"On my way now, why?"

She paused, "I'll see you soon."

He cut the line and she stood up as another contraction began in earnest.

Less than five minutes later Chakotay breezed through the doors to their cabin.

He looked at Kathryn she was breathing hard sitting on the couch, one hand on either side of her engorged abdomen. "Oh Kathryn, how far apart are they?"

The contraction ended and she stared at him. "They're really close. Two minutes?"

He walked up to her and pulled her up so she was standing in front of him. As she stood the waters holding their child splashed onto the floor.

She looked up at him frightened. "My water broke." She began panting. She crouched on the floor and Chakotay could tell she was pushing he been through this before.

"Don't push Kathryn."

"I can feel the head honey. I don't have a choice."

She sat on the floor and pulled her knees as far apart as possible. Her hand went between her legs and she felt the top of the baby's head. "I can't get to sickbay, I can't walk like

this, and what about Tristan?"

"Oh god, here comes another one Chakotay."

He watched her bear down and he felt so helpless. When the contraction was over she looked at him. "I need to take my pants and my underwear off whether we like it or not this baby is going to be born here."

He stripped off her wet pants and underwear and looked between her legs. The child's tush was emerging. "Kathryn that's not a head."

Kathryn got panicked. "What do you mean that's not a head?"

"The baby is coming out breach."

"That can't be Chakotay she was head down and engaged in the birth canal last week."

"Well now she's not." He tapped his combadge, "Chakotay to the Doctor."

"Yes Commander?"

"Kathryn is in labor."

"Okay stay calm, can you get to sickbay?" The Doctor heard groaning in the background. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"Its okay Kathryn, we'll get someone here to help you." He tapped his combadge again. "The contractions are right on top of each other."

"Can you see the baby's head?"

Chakotay was panicking. "She's coming out breach Doctor."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'll get back to you Commander." He tapped his combadge. "Doctor to Lieutenant Paris."

He head the groggy voice of Tom Paris come on the line. "Yeah Doc, what is it?"

"I need you to get down to the Captain's quarters… she's in labour and can't get to sickbay."

"What about a transport?"

The Doctor sighed, "If the baby was head down she'd be crowning."

Tom woke himself up, "Tell her I'll be right there."

Tom woke B'Elanna, "I have to get to the Captain's quarters."

B'Elanna shook her head, "It's like 4am."

"And she's in labour and too stubborn to tell anyone before it was too late for her to get to sickbay."

"Go, and tell them congratulations."

[JANEWAY QUARTERS]

Chakotay approached Kathryn, "Tom will be here soon. Don't push."

She had tears running down her face. "I can't help it, my body is doing it on its own.

Chakotay heard the chime at the door. "Come in Tom."

Tom rushed over to where the couple were sitting on the floor."

"Tom, don't let this baby die." Kathryn cried as she strained against the contractions.

Tom crouched down and stared at the bottom of the baby emerging between Kathryn's legs. "Okay captain, she's not a footling breach so you should be able to deliver her the same way you delivered Tristan. I need you to not push while she eases out."

Kathryn nodded and felt a contraction coming. She panted as the baby moved out further and she felt the burning get stronger. "God Tom it burns."

"That's you stretching; she's out up to her chest."

She felt the contraction coming to an end and the baby slip out a little further. "It wasn't this hard with Tristan."

"Tristan was two months premature and quite a bit smaller."

Kathryn closed her eyes against the tears. "Oh god, here comes another one."

This time Tom eased her out to her neck and the legs tumbled down. "Okay stop pushing. I need to reach in and ease the baby's head out."

Kathryn nodded and felt Tom's hands reach inside and slowly pull the baby's head out. "It's a girl."

The couple smiled and watched as Tom patted the baby's bottom and a scream erupted. He put the baby on Kathryn's stomach and she immediately brought her up to her breast. The baby latched on and started nursing and Kathryn felt another contraction. "Is that the placenta?"

Tom nodded and got a towel out to catch the placenta. "One more push and this will all be over."

Kathryn nodded and bore down one last time."

Tom waited for the placenta but instead got a gush of water.

Kathryn felt her stomach deflate, and then felt another contraction start in earnest. "I thought this was over." She handed the child to Chakotay and rubbed her hands over her belly.

"What is going on Tom?"

Tom saw the top of a baby's head. "You didn't tell me it was twins."

"Twins?"

Kathryn bore down and felt burning, and knew that the baby's head was trying to pass. "I can't do this again."

Tom felt the top of her belly. "You don't have much of a choice."

He felt Kathryn pushing again and saw the baby's head pop out. "Okay good. The baby's head is out."

Kathryn had tears in her eyes as another contraction began. She pushed and the baby's body slid out into Tom's waiting hands. He cleared the baby's mouth and patted her bottom and she let out a scream of protest at having been removed from her mother's womb. "Another girl."

Chakotay brought Talie over to her mother, "So now we need a name for this one." He pointed to the child in Kathryn's arms.

"How about Taya?"

"Talie and Taya, I like it."

Tom tapped his combadge, "Doc why didn't you tell me it was twins?"

"Oh my."

"Guess the doctor didn't know either."

Kathryn put Taya to her breast and felt a small contraction. She pushed and out came one placenta. "That's one Captain, one more contraction and the other placenta should be out."

Kathryn felt another small contraction and placenta number 2 was out.

"Okay Captain, Commander. That should be all. I suggest you make your way to sickbay. Congratulations you guys."

Tom left the Captain's quarters and headed home. It had only been a couple of hours. She had quick births. Tom walked into his quarters and saw B'Elanna getting ready for her shift.

"So how'd it go?"

"Doc missed something."

"Was it a boy?"

He laughed, "Identical twin girls." He smirked, "Poor things look like their father."

B'Elanna playfully swatted him, "Well Tristan has more of her characteristics."

"True, but still. If those girls have his dimples, the boys are in trouble."

B'Elanna laughed, "I have to get going, my shift starts in 20 minutes."

Tom nods and B'Elanna leaves.

[JANEWAY QUARTERS]

Kathryn stood up with baby Taya in her arms. "We aren't prepared for two babies."

Chakotay grinned at his wife, "Well we have two babies now."

Kathryn smiled. "True." She put Taya in the crib. "Here Chakotay, we can put both girls in the same crib for the moment. I need to get dressed so we can bring these kids to sickbay to get checked out."

Chakotay nodded, "Can you give B'Elanna the morning off? Someone has to watch their big brother."

Kathryn sighed, "I guess that can be arranged."

"Chakotay to Torres."

He heard laughter over the line. "Congratulations old man, what can I do for you?"

Chakotay chuckled, "Kathryn is giving you the morning off. Someone has to watch Tristan."

"Be right there Chakotay."

Kathryn had just finished putting a maternity uniform on, and went out to the living room. She pulled the uniform out, "I can't believe I filled this out not 12 hours ago."

"Well you were carrying some pretty precious cargo." Chakotay was dressed and went to pick up one of the babies. "How are we going to tell them apart?"

She laughed "They're mirror twins. Taya has a mole on her right hand and Talie has one on her left hand."

Chakotay stared at her. "I hadn't looked at them that closely yet."

They heard the door chime and let B'Elanna in. She stared at the twins. "They are so precious guys. Congratulations."

Kathryn went and picked up Talie. "Come on get Taya and let's head to sickbay."

Chakotay nodded and picked up the other baby.

[SICKBAY]

The Doctor wipped around the sickbay making everything ready for the Captain and the Commander. He heard the doors slide open and Kathryn and Chakotay walked in each with a baby in their arms.

The Doctor approached Chakotay and looked over the little girl, "Apple of her father's eye I see."

Chakotay smiled, "They both are."

The Doctor approached Kathryn and ran a finger down Tays's cheek. "What are these ones names?"

Kathryn smiled at the Doctor, "This one is Talie." She pointed at the one in her arms. "And that one is Taya."

Chakotay handed the baby to the Doctor, "One of us has to get to the bridge and since it's not going to be her, I guess I'd better get going."

The Doctor took the baby who had fallen asleep and turned to Kathryn. "Well Captain this was a surprise."

Kathryn nodded, "Not an unwelcomed one but I'm not doing this again. Can you update my booster while I'm here?"

The Doctor nodded and placed Taya in the bassinette.

Kathryn walked up to the second bassinette. "Doctor can you watch these two for a bit? I need a shower."

The Doctor nodded and took Talie. "Of course Captain. We'll be here when you're done."

Kathryn went to walk out of sickbay and felt the warmth encompass her. All of a sudden the world around her changed, and she was in a graveyard.

She looked over and saw an aged version of herself kneeling by a grave. She saw her brushing the grave and heard the words, "I know it wasn't easy living all these years without her, Chakotay. But when I'm through, things might be better for all of us. Trust me"

Kathryn felt the tears just under her eyelids as she saw the name on the grave. Chakotay, 2329 – 2394.

She drew in a deep steadying breath and the elder Janeway looked up as if just seeing Kathryn for the first time. "Who are you?"

"I was you."

The Admiral stared at Janeway's clothing. "Those are maternity uniforms. I have no children."

Kathryn smiled, "I have three."

The older woman rubbed her hands over her face. "Who's the father?"

She laughed, "One is Mark's. I was pregnant when we got to the Delta Quadrant."

She stared at the ring on the younger woman's ring finger. "The others?"

She drew in a deep breath steadying herself for the reveal. "Chakotay is my husband. He's the twins' dad."

The Admiral let her head fall to her hands, "So we made it work after New Earth? You didn't hold out on him so that he forgot the promises you made to each other?"

Kathryn shook her head. "I just gave birth to the twins not an hour ago. We're very happy."

The Admiral let a breath escape she hadn't realized she had been inadvertently holding for years."

Kathryn heard the Guardians whisperings and she knew it was time to leave. "This might make a better future for us all."

She walked to the edge of the café and she was back on her Voyager.

She went to her quarters and got cleaned up.

She had fixed the future for them all, and that was the goal.

A better future and a better life, and that made all the difference.

END PART 9

END THE GUARDIAN


End file.
